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Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim (Dan Keinan) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 07:25 10/12/2007 Absorption Ministry seeks to bring back Israelis living abroad By The Associated Press Tags: Absorption Ministry, yordim  Israel is trying to persuade hundreds of thousands of its citizens living overseas to return home in a project to coincide with the state's 60th anniversary next year, the Absorption Ministry announced Sunday. The project, dubbed "coming home", will try to lure Israelis living abroad to come back with tax breaks, employment and small business loans. Advertisement About 650,000 Israelis live abroad, 450,000 of them in North America, the ministry said. The ministry began contacting them last month through direct phone calls, an Internet site and a hot line. "What surprised us most is the amount of positive feedback we received from countries where the standard of living is very high," said Erez Halfon, director of the Absorption Ministry. "We received 285 calls from Israelis living in Switzerland, and of them, 15 families have committed to coming home." Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed support for the project at a cabinet meeting Sunday. "Every Israeli, even if he lives abroad, is Israeli at heart and knows that his home is here. I call on all Israelis to return home," Olmert said. "The project aims to bring 10,000 ex-pats back to Israel in the first year and double that number of the next few years. Between 18,000 and 21,000 Israelis emigrate each year," Halfon told reporters. The estimated cost of the campaign is NIS 140 million a year, an amount the ministry believes will be paid back by the returning Israelis themselves. Within half a year of their being reintroduced into society as consumers, the government will get all their money back, Halfon said. Halfon said the project aims to remove the social stigma faced by those who leave Israel, so they will have a softer landing upon their return. Related articles: Brain drain - Israelis residing in the U.S. do not see themselves as Yordim Last year, 4,200 Israelis abroad came back to Israel, most from U.S. Absorption Min: Without draft, more Israelis abroad would return Bookmark to del.icio.us Peres apology The President apologized to Kafr Qasem villages for the massacre of 1956. Gaza: The Sequel 'There is no other option' but another round of war. But will it be any different this time?   1.   Many good reasons 21:14  |  Gideon Reader 09/12/07   2.   Buy their children! 21:32  |  Simon 09/12/07   3.   To dissolve the Absorption ministry 21:34  |  Boris 09/12/07   4.   And who says the Christians are moving out... 21:54  |  Palestinian Brit 09/12/07   5.   Living for others or charity starts abroad 22:02  |  emmett 09/12/07   6.   No peace, no jobs, no decent affordable housing, NO WAY ! 22:15  |  Israeli abroad 09/12/07   7.   #6 - then call yourself European, not Israeli 23:39  |  Steve 09/12/07   8.   Please come back 00:00  |  Taxpayer 10/12/07   9.   luring back israelis 00:31  |  marcel 10/12/07   10.   I am one of those who live in switzerland 00:38  |  Joey 10/12/07   11.   #7 Steve 00:47  |  Israeli abroad 10/12/07   12.   650.000 Israelis living abroad 00:52  |  Axel 10/12/07   13.   the government can never afford to offer incentives high enough 01:07  |  crazyed 10/12/07   14.   #1: What planet are you on? 01:09  |  Global Citizen 10/12/07   15.   will olmert`s children take up this offer? 01:09  |  nh 10/12/07   16.   #10 Joey: put your son in religious or `mental` unit 01:14  |  IDF Consulting 10/12/07   17.   And who will pay for it? 01:44  |  Realist 10/12/07   18.   NO WAY IN HELL. ISRAEL IS AN APARTHEID STATE! 01:49  |  David 10/12/07   19.   With Religious and Arab sector growing stronger... 02:02  |  Secular 10/12/07   20.   I will come to collect the small business loan 02:08  |  Booky 10/12/07   21.   Israel is a mess 02:15  |  Another expat 10/12/07   22.   Ministry believes amount will be paid back by the returning 02:17  |  Not a fool 10/12/07   23.   Racist Israel is calling.... 02:58  |  POP 10/12/07   24.   Olmert`s Own Yordim 02:58  |  woodah 10/12/07   25.   Post #14 - WHAT PLANET DOES GLOBAL CITIZEN LIVE ON? 03:08  |  DoubleClick 10/12/07   26.   always thinking of Israel 04:22  |  dan 10/12/07   27.   Aliya Dangerous 04:52  |  Atara 10/12/07   28.   lure is the key word here...to entrap 08:11  |  JL 10/12/07   29.   A Soon to Be Ex-pat 08:32  |  Leor 10/12/07   30.   does russia know something we dont know? 08:34  |  dgs 10/12/07   31.   Israel: the sardine state 08:35  |  Leon 10/12/07   32.   Absorption Ministry seeks to bring back Israelis living abroad 08:42  |  Millie 10/12/07   33.   Dan, wake up ! 08:44  |  Israeli abroad 10/12/07   34.   Absorption Ministry seeks to bring back Israelis living abroad 08:54  |  Blanche 10/12/07   35.   Dan is my man 09:02  |  Israeli abroad 10/12/07   36.   crayzed 09:06  |  Israeli 10/12/07   37.   No. 26- Dan 11:46  |  Stella 10/12/07   38.   I tell `em: Save yourselves and DON`T COME!! 12:54  |  David Teich 10/12/07   39.   4: Pal Brit gets confused again 12:57  |  David Teich 10/12/07   40.   Coming home and handing my son over to IDF 16:14  |  Orit 10/12/07   41.   Israelis abroad 19:45  |  Manny 22/12/07

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