The Knesset approved Sunday a precedent-setting proposal to fund independent agencies that promote immigration, despite ongoing pressure from the Jewish Agency which currently holds the monoply on these services.

The decision authorizes a fixed budgetary allocation for independent aliyah organizations, effectively ending the Jewish Agency?s monopoly on bringing new immigrants to Israel.

The decision was originally set to be voted upon over a month ago, but was initially postponed due to a heavy agenda. The postponement allowed Jewish Agency Chairman, Zeev Bielsky to put pressure on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to cancel the decision or at least to make major changes to it and for the last month, the decision was taken off the cabinet?s agenda.