Germany concerned by plans to urge aliyah among its Russian Jews - Haaretz

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Thu., September 06, 2007 Elul 23, 5767

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Last update - 23:47 03/09/2007

Germany concerned by plans to urge aliyah among its Russian Jews

By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent

Berlin is deeply concerned over plans to expand the operations of Nativ, the Israeli government agency responsible for promoting aliyah among Jews in the former Soviet Union, to the Russian-speaking Jewish community in Germany.

Germany, which has yet to receive an official notice of the government's decision, is concerned that Nativ's operations will hamper efforts to rebuild the local Jewish community decimated during the Holocaust.

According to German figures, 206,000 Jews immigrated to Germany from the former Soviet Union between 1991 and 2006, most of who remained in Germany. Less than half of them, however, are formally involved in community activities.

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All German governments since the end of World War Two have publicly supported the resurrection of Jewish life in Germany, although for some 40 years after the war only tens of thousands of Jews remained in Germany. Berlin politicians therefore view the arrival of Jews from the former Soviet Union as a one-time opportunity to breathe new life into the German Jewish community.

The federal government is providing the Jewish community with financial assistance in order to help it absorb the immigrants. Next year, that assistance is expected to grow from 3 million euro to 5 million, in addition to one-time government grants for the construction of synagogues and other community institutions.

"We are constantly trying to give the Russian Jews the feeling that they are wanted here, not as guests but as permanent residents, and we don't want to see a situation in which we are competing over them with Israel," said a German official involved in ties with the Jewish community.

Despite the fact that Germany is trying to limit immigration, Jews from the former Soviet Union are being allowed to immigrate and are entitled to undergo a fast-track naturalization process.

"These are the only immigrants we want," said a German official. "They allow us to realize our dream of rehabilitating the glorious local Jewish community."

The German government is also uncomfortable with the secret nature of Nativ's activities. Nonetheless, Germany has yet to file an official protest with the Israeli government and is instead awaiting official notice.

Senior officials in the German administration involved in contacts the local Jewish community have said in off-the-record conversations that they would have expected to learn of Israel's decision from the Israeli government, instead of being informed of it by local Jewish leaders who are exposed to the expansion of Nativ's activities.

"We would have expected different behavior from a country that has such friendly ties with us, and in any event we intend to stand by the side of our community," said one of the officials. "But of course we have no legal way of blocking [Nativ's activities]."

Charlotte Knobloch, who heads Germany's Central Council of Jews, issued a complaint over Nativ's expansion during a meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem three weeks ago.

Berlin officials in charge of ties with Israel and the Jewish community see the government's decision to expand Nativ, made roughly one month ago, as the result of political demands and deals that led Olmert to transfer native to the authority of Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

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1.	Germany`s concern for Jewish immigration	23:46	\|	Connie	03/09/07

2.	How do they "urge" someone to make aliyah?	00:06	\|	Axel	04/09/07

3.	And	02:17	\|	leon	04/09/07

4.	My Goodness	02:22	\|	Angel	04/09/07

5.	russion jews	03:04	\|	samuel	04/09/07

6.	Really?	03:34	\|	sweis Melbourne	04/09/07

7.	Aliyah Not Making Germans Feel Better About Themselves	03:41	\|	Yoram	04/09/07

8.	Jews are good for the economy- just ask Poland	04:40	\|	Avrum	04/09/07

9.	Take Me In From the US	04:42	\|	Menahem	04/09/07

10.	considering theor recent history ie the Holocaust....	04:42	\|	richard	04/09/07

11.	Ehmm.. HELLO?! Change of government peepz!	05:00	\|	John	04/09/07

12.	What`s done is done	05:54	\|	David	04/09/07

13.	Angel	06:29	\|	Connie	04/09/07

14.	Menahem	06:33	\|	Connie	04/09/07

15.	Leave them alone	06:55	\|	Boris	04/09/07

16.	This Article Is Absurd	07:34	\|	Joey	04/09/07

17.	Avrum	08:27	\|	sweis Melbourne	04/09/07

18.	# connie	10:02	\|	Axel	04/09/07

19.	German Jewry	11:10	\|	Anonymous	04/09/07

20.	Germans must really be afraid	12:07	\|	Jonathan S	04/09/07

21.	yordin	12:32	\|	moshe	04/09/07

22.	# 19 Jonathan S	13:07	\|	Axel	04/09/07

23.	Russian Jews and Israel	15:15	\|	Ygor Naftalin	04/09/07

24.	Individual?s choice where to live.	19:21	\|	H.H.M	04/09/07

25.	# 24 H.H.M.	21:38	\|	Axel	04/09/07

26.	Axel	03:05	\|	sweis Melbourne	05/09/07

27.	# 26 sweis	11:55	\|	Axel	05/09/07

28.	Alex	09:08	\|	sweis Melbourne	06/09/07

29.	# 28 sweis	12:08	\|	Axel	06/09/07

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