Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., December 25, 2007 Tevet 16, 5768 | | Israel Time: 07:13 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Hanukkah

A plane carrying immigrants from the United States earlier this year. (Sasson Tiram) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 23:19 23/12/2007 Immigration to Israel in 2007 down 6%, at its lowest since 1989 By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Immigration, Ethiopians The number of new immigrants arriving in Israel in 2007 was 19,700 - a decline of 6 percent over last year, according to the Absorption Ministry end-of-the-year statistics released on Sunday. This is the lowest number of immigrants since 1989, after the wave of immigration following the fall of the Iron Curtain. Advertisement Forecasts for 2008 do not show an increase in newcomers. The largest number of immigrants, 6,445, came from the former Soviet Union, but their numbers declined by 15 percent from 2006. This drop constituted a very significant part of the decrease from 21,000 immigrants in 2006 to fewer than 20,000 this year. The second-largest number of immigrants over the past year, 3,607, came from Ethiopia. However, immigration of the Falashmura from Ethiopia is expected to end in the middle of next year, which will cut the number of immigrants from that country by more than half. The third-largest number of immigrants came in 2007 came from North America, with 2,957, followed by France, with 2,659. The numbers of people emigrating here from those two places together comprised 30 percent of the total of immigrants in 2007 - leading to an increase in the proportion of newcomers from well-off countries in comparison to the total number. Three and a half months ago, the cabinet decided to fund private organizations encouraging immigration from these countries. More Jewish World news and features Related articles: Jewish Agency: Immigration to Israel in 2006 reaches 18-year low Cabinet to end Jewish Agency monopoly over immigration Interior Ministry to close down Ethiopian aliyah operation Bookmark to del.icio.us Happy birthday Gloom has been banished from Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations. Reforming Judaism An international Reform movement summit in Jerusalem will tackle issues of status in Israel.   1.   At last, some good news for Xmas! 22:00  |  Chanalau, Tova 23/12/07   2.   see you wont be needing those new squatter settlements 22:23  |  great 23/12/07   3.   I made Alliyah this year and it was the best decision of my life 22:26  |  don 23/12/07   4.   How many moved to America? 22:38  |  Siegel 23/12/07   5.   Falashmura from Ethiopia. 22:39  |  Maureen Ann 23/12/07   6.   People don`t want to live in an APARTHEID State. 23:02  |  * BEN JABO 23/12/07   7.   People don`t want to live in an APARTHEID State. 23:02  |  * BEN JABO 23/12/07   8.   Nobody wants to come with this current government 23:03  |  Ben 23/12/07   9.   ONLY THE DUMB JEWS MOOVE TO AMERICA 23:20  |  20x20 23/12/07   10.   #1 Tova the Jew 23:21  |  Jonny 23/12/07   11.   Amercan jews need and will imigrate! 23:30  |  Like it is 23/12/07   12.   In other words, more Jews leave than come 00:19  |  Avi 24/12/07   13.   So now we are informed about immigration ... 00:37  |  Axel 24/12/07   14.   4. Sigel you ruined it for me 00:40  |  damned 24/12/07   15.   Jews in Ethiopia 00:42  |  LMD 24/12/07   16.   America. Home of Christian Facism. 00:52  |  Steve 24/12/07   17.   I`ll Give You My Reasons 00:56  |  PK 24/12/07   18.   The Left is responsible of this decline 01:51  |  Frank 24/12/07   19.   16. no where to run!! nowhere to hide! 01:54  |  like it is 24/12/07   20.   17. Living in the USA 01:58  |  cheese burger lover 24/12/07   21.   Zion living live by the drop 02:03  |  bye bye 24/12/07   22.   Maureen Ann 02:11  |  Falashmura 24/12/07   23.   SEND ALL OF CHRISTS OUT OF AMERICA 02:58  |  Like it is 24/12/07   24.   FOREVER IS ONLY ZION! 03:11  |  20x20 24/12/07   25.   YOU CAN DIE FROM CHEES BURGERS AND PORK 03:26  |  Shvarma lover 24/12/07   26.   Its not the quantity of immigration but the quality... 04:11  |  Marwan مروان خوري 24/12/07   27.   And who can blame them considering the government Israel has? 04:43  |  Ignacio 24/12/07   28.   Liyah at lowest point since 1989 05:36  |  Daniel Lang 24/12/07   29.   Talking to Jews here 09:20  |  Israeli 24/12/07   30.   # 17 10:41  |  PK 24/12/07   31.   # 27 ignacio 10:47  |  Axel 24/12/07   32.   26. yeah mossadi look at you 12:43  |  anywhere else 24/12/07   33.   Why are you blaming Olmert?Red the statistics! 17:51  |  Jose 24/12/07   34.   Olmert Partly to Blame 23:48  |  Tod Zuckerman 24/12/07   35.   Please Print My Post 00:57  |  Tod Zuckerman 25/12/07

Today Online Gov't delays decision on easing criteria for freeing Palestinians Responses: 191 Gideon Levy: Don't be fooled by impression of quiet in West Bank Responses: 230 Akiva Eldar: Why can't Israel's left make peace demands? Responses: 52 Shimon Peres online: Celebrating the 60th anniversary of an int'l vote of courage Responses: 67 Rosner's Domain Only the Palestinians can transform their political future (WTR) Ron Paul insists: 'Israel encourages Americans to go into Iran' Poll: A cease-fire with Hamas, good or bad? Huckabee and the Jewish vote (WTR) More Headlines 03:44 PM plans to streamline conversion of immigrants 05:15 Ministers lean toward releasing prisoners with 'blood on hands' 04:27 Foreign Min.: Syria feels peace must wait for next U.S. pres. 02:29 Nefesh B`Nefesh, JA publish conflicting immigration numbers 02:55 Central Bureau of Statistics: 2.1% of state's population is Christian 01:36 Natur is third kibbutz in last 100 years to become moshav 01:06 Short story penned by Gilad Shalit at age 11 to be published 04:25 Health Minister Ben-Yizri lauds increase in health basket 05:45 Knesset extends Compulsory Education Law to 12th grade Previous Editions Select Day 24 dec 23 dec 21 dec 20 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 14 dec 13 dec 12 dec 11 dec

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