Social-Ethnic Challenges Old and new

Immigration (“Aliyah”= Ascent) Synopsis  Million Jewish Immigrants  Yearly average: 50,000  Jewish population (year 2000): 5 Million  Arab population 1.3 Million  Total population today: 7,000,000  Emigration ( “ Yeridah ” =Descent ” ) : 318,000  Four Waves:  ,000  – 165,000  – 268,000  – 475,000

Waves of immigration Before 1967  ,000 –Half from Middle-Eastern Countries - Doubling Jewish population - Doubling Jewish population - Changing ethnic composition - Changing ethnic composition  ,000 –Mostly from North-Africa  ,000 – From various countries

turning point  1967 Immigration responding to pull factors  Change in Immigration composition  Growing liberalism  Pluralism  Growing rage against former authoritarianism  1977 Throwing MAPAI as the symbol

Post 1967  ,000 - half from Soviet union - half from Soviet union - Mainly from western-European - Mainly from western-Europeanprovinces - Zionism and Jewish heritage  , % from the West -11% from Ethiopia (Moses Operation) -6% from Iran  ,000 from Former Soviet Union -Mainly Russia, Ukraine and Asia  30,000 from Ethiopia (Solomon Operation)  By year ,000 Soviet Jews immigrated to Israel  55,000 Ethiopian immigrants + 21,000 Israeli-born

The State  Continuing encouragement of immigration – the raison d' é tre of the Jewish state  The profound role of the state and the JA in absorption  The transformation of government approach to absorption: –Liberalization –Response to social criticism –New types of immigrants

The challenge of former Oriental Olim Success  Growing involvement in government, army, bureaucracy  Growing presentation in academia  Profound presentation in popular culture challenge  Growing cultural- ideological demands (Arab Jews; cultural legacy)  Envy and frustration in response to Russian immigration  Growing political self- awareness and social struggle (Keshet Mizrahit)

Political activity  Political parties as channels for social, political, economic integration  = continuing legacy  = crucial ingredient in Israeli democracy  Oriental religious (SHAS)  Russian secular party (Israel Ba ’ aliyah)  Crossing lines of Left and Right

Change and New Challenges  The unique challenge and response to Ethiopian immigration  The struggle between old ideas of "new Jew" and post-modern cultural pluralism  Interaction between Political and social challenges – Arabs, peace, religion