By World Israel News Staff
With the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the U.S. quietly evacuating embassy employees and their families from the eastern European country, Israel is gearing up for an influx of Jewish refugees.
According to Hebrew language daily Haaretz, Israeli government ministers met Sunday in a closed-door meeting to discuss strategy for absorbing tens of thousands of Ukrainians with Jewish heritage, who qualify for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.
In attendance at the meeting were representatives from the Defense Ministry, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Diaspora Ministry, and the Nativ organization which works to strengthen ties between Russian-speaking Jews and the Israeli government.
Although so far there has been no immediate uptick in Jewish Ukrainians wishing to immigrate to Israel, in 2021 aliya increased by 4%. In the event of an invasion it’s unknown if eligible Ukrainians would want to move to the Jewish State, but just in case, the Israeli government is preparing for a possible “mass absorption” scenario.
The issue is extremely sensitive, as a large airlift of Jews by Israel would provide damaging optics for the Russian and Ukrainian governments who have engaged in public relations campaigns in recent years aimed at proving to the international community that Jewish citizens of their countries are safe.
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Israel absorbed more than one million Russian speakers. In 2021 there was a 4% increase 2,123 from Ukraine (4% increase),
A travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department Sunday evening indicated that families of embassy workers and nonessential staff would be evacuated from Ukraine.
On Monday, the U.K.’s Foreign Office announced that while the British embassy would remain open for the time being, embassy staff and their dependents would be repatriated from Ukraine “in response to the growing threat from Russia.”
