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The Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv. (Archive)
Last update - 12:44 10/12/2007
Sources: Russia working to lure emigrants back from Israel
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Vladimir Putin, Russia 

The Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv is operating a branch of a government body, under the guise of a cultural center, whose goal is to persuade Russian emigrants to return, according to Israeli intelligence sources.

The cultural center, which opened about two months ago, is headed by a Russian intellectual, who the intelligence sources believe worked for the Soviet secret service, the KGB. Senior government officials have reportedly expressed concerns recently over the development of "competition" between Russia and Israel over where former Russians choose to reside.

The Russian Embassy was unavailable for comment on Sunday.
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The intelligence bodies are certain that the Russian cultural center that opened two months ago on Geula Street in Tel Aviv is a cover for the local branch of the Sons of the Homeland movement, established by Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring back Russians who emigrated to Israel.

More than three million Russian-speaking Jews are living on five continents. Just over one-third live in Israel. They mostly came in the large wave of immigration that took place after the former Soviet Union opened its gates. After Putin was elected in 2000, he established the Sons of the Homeland to maintain communication between Russia and its emigres, and eventually Putin charged the group with bringing back as many Russians as possible, with an emphasis on those in skilled professions.

The high level of education among many of the Jewish emigres and the fact that they are concentrated in large communities have made them a desirable target for the organization. Putin's goal is not only economic; the millions who have left Russia since the fall of communism are a blow to national pride.

Putin also wants to counter the image of Russian anti-Semitism, by showing the country as a place that attracts Jews.

A number of groups, like the Russian-Speakers Congress, are considered fronts for the Sons of the Homeland.

The cultural center opened following an agreement between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Putin, which also authorized several Israeli cultural centers to operate in Russia.

During last week's general elections in Russia, the cultural center held activities in 60 towns in Israel to encourage Russians to register and vote, and collected their contact details.

Meanwhile, some Israelis have reported received tempting job offers in Russia. "I was offered a job in a research institute in Moscow for $15,000 a year," said a leading academic in her field, who has been in contact with the cultural center. She mentioned additional incentives, such as an apartment.

The cultural center is headed by Dr. Alexander Kryukov, a leading Russian expert on Israeli culture with extensive connections in Israel, who has also translated a number of books from Hebrew into Russian. When the Russian government last year announced his appointment as a diplomat in the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Shin Bet security service tried to prevent him from receiving a visa, citing his past as a KGB spy. However, Russia insisted, and Israel acquiesced in order to avoid a diplomatic incident.

Israel and Russia are not the only countries seeking to court as many Russian Jews as possible; Germany is also encouraging Russian Jews to settle there by giving individual grants and special funding to communities to assist in settling the newcomers. According to government officials in Berlin, the arrival of some 200,000 former citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States is an opportunity to rebuild the great pre-Holocaust Jewish community. Canada and Australia also have programs to encourage Russians with professions in demand to immigrate.

According to Absorption Ministry statistics, more than 100,000 Jews who came to Israel from the CIS have returned to Russia and Ukraine, and an estimated 70,000 Israelis are currently living in Moscow.

It was decided that, in light of the competition for Russians, the program approved by the cabinet yesterday to bring back Israelis living abroad would be marketed as early as next week in Russian and tailored to Russian employment needs.

The Russian cultural center activity gives the government organization Nativ, in charge of contacts with the Jews of the former Soviet Union and under the aegis of Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a reason to undergo a controversial expansion to other countries with large groups of Russian Jews.



Related articles:
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  • Putin spurns Leviev, invites 'Gaydamak's rabbi' to Kremlin
  • Putin ally set to win European Jewish Congress presidential elections
  • Russian only spoken here
  • Absorption Ministry seeks to bring back Israelis living abroad
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      1.   Competition is good - Arab states may join soon 03:25  |  Mahmoud Abu Duma 10/12/07
      2.   Another threat to the national existence? 03:34  |  Mark Lincoln 10/12/07
      3.   Is that because the Jews are smarts and loyal? 04:02  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 10/12/07
      4.   TOO LITTLE TOO LATE 04:09  |  Judth 10/12/07
      5.   Good news 04:15  |  Alex 10/12/07
      6.   Russia Is On Its way Back To Become The Superpower 04:44  |  Eli 10/12/07
      7.   Let them go 05:31  |  Ticky 10/12/07
      8.   TOO LITTLE TOO LATE 05:31  |  Oetis 10/12/07
      9.   Lieberman 05:37  |  C`est Moi 10/12/07
      10.   to Judth 06:44  |  the Pope 10/12/07
      11.   the jew as court jester 06:57  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/12/07
      12.   Haaretz, this is no new news 07:06  |  Kris 10/12/07
      13.   This is a encouraging development 07:11  |  victor 10/12/07
      14.   Why Should It Be a Secret? 07:24  |  Ben Israel 10/12/07
      15.   Maybe Israelis will appreciate the Russians better now... 07:30  |  Jewboy 10/12/07
      16.   Why not invite the Palestinians instead? 08:18  |  Michael 10/12/07
      17.   Europe murdered all Jews, now left behind. now they want the Jews 08:21  |  American Technology 10/12/07
      18.   Just a spoon full of sugar helps the Rx go down 08:29  |  Mark 10/12/07
      19.   To #11: if it is secret, something dirty must be in.spy recruit? 08:33  |  Alain 10/12/07
      20.   Russia working to get its emigrants back 08:34  |  Ann 10/12/07
      21.   Russians Jews 08:37  |  Avraham 10/12/07
      22.   "mother" russia 08:44  |  Mark 10/12/07
      23.   # 2 well then e.m.jordan is palest in CALIFORNIA 08:44  |  eric 10/12/07
      24.   # 3 to judith in NY; did you read the article? 08:51  |  eric 10/12/07
      25.   # 8 and cipora, they`re doing so successfully 09:06  |  eric 10/12/07
      26.   From Russia with Love 09:19  |  Steve 10/12/07
      27.   # 13 hey michael in CALIFORNIA 09:19  |  eric 10/12/07
      28.   if that`s what they want, why not? 09:25  |  good luck 10/12/07
      29.   That is good news for both Israel & Russia 09:28  |  Montrealer 10/12/07
      30.   Russian top emigrants are doing quite well in Israel and the West 09:38  |  S 10/12/07
      31.   Anyone Stupid Enough To Go Back To Russia Now 09:39  |  Efox 10/12/07
      32.   to # 13 Michael of S.F. 09:44  |  Steve the Pals. 10/12/07
      33.   Kryukov et all 09:49  |  Alex 10/12/07
      34.   re: eric 09:50  |  Efox 10/12/07
      35.   Kryukov, part II 09:52  |  Alex 10/12/07
      36.   Send American settlers back home too 09:52  |  Chanalau, Tova 10/12/07
      37.   eric, you know not of what you speak 10:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/12/07
      38.   Israelis in Moscow and radio REKA. 10:05  |  Vital 10/12/07
      39.   Nice try Eric 10:05  |  Michael 10/12/07
      40.   # 30 to efox of the gulags 10:06  |  eric 10/12/07
      41.   Time for Russians, Germans,Americans and the whole lot 10:08  |  Joe 10/12/07
      42.   Nisiya tova 10:09  |  Michael 10/12/07
      43.   eric #25 (to Cipora) 10:13  |  S 10/12/07
      44.   Steve the blind 10:14  |  Michael 10/12/07
      45.   The history is repeating. 10:21  |  Vital 10/12/07
      46.   Russians going back = new hope for peace in the ME 10:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 10/12/07
      47.   TO: #6 Eli 10:37  |  Imad 10/12/07
      48.   Tit for tat 10:47  |  sh 10/12/07
      49.   15,000$ a month, not a year. Still not coming. 11:03  |  Vitaly 10/12/07
      50.   Lieberman Should Be the First to Sign Up 11:20  |  Yaakov Sullivan 10/12/07
      51.   #43, S 11:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/12/07
      52.   #48, Vitaly, good for you 11:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/12/07
      53.   Yaakov Sullivan No. 49 11:47  |  Neil 10/12/07
      54.   Puttin is a highly intelligent president 11:52  |  Shoshana Thomasson 10/12/07
      55.   Imad`s comment to Eli 12:10  |  Michael 10/12/07
      56.   FROM the home of"the Protocolls of the Elders of Zion"? 12:19  |  PETER SM 10/12/07
      57.   Could they please take Liberman back 12:22  |  SJ 10/12/07
      58.   #11, Cipora. Thus spoke moral- or purse-Zionist from US Cipora 12:32  |  zmogus 10/12/07
      59.   emigrants back 12:44  |  Ralph 10/12/07
      60.   to Sw iss (Dino) 12:48  |  Ralph 10/12/07
      61.   Re: Eli 13:08  |  Scott G 10/12/07
      62.   jewish republic 13:12  |  igor 10/12/07
      63.   Russians only care about money 13:18  |  k y 10/12/07
      64.   Perhaps you are right about that, neil #53 13:24  |  Yaakov Sullivan 10/12/07
      65.   Kris 13:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 10/12/07
      66.   eric 13:32  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 10/12/07
      67.   eric re your message to cipora 13:35  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 10/12/07
      68.   It`s not like we (the Israelis) don`t do the same 13:43  |  Boaz 10/12/07
      69.   What`s good for the Goose, is good for the Gander