World Jewish News

Naftali Bennett, Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

Bennett : ‘Jews in the Diaspora ‘should have some sort of say’ in Israeli affairs

Jews in the Diaspora “should have some sort of say” in the Israeli government’s affairs and even a “semi-citizenship”, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister said.
“What worked in terms of Israel-Jewish Diaspora relations doesn’t work anymore,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA). “Instead of viewing the Diaspora as a wallet, the new objective is keeping Jews Jewish and connected to Israel even if they don’t make Aliyah (immigration to Israel)”, the minister said.
Though Israel education and advocacy is a prime focus of the initiative, Bennett said Israel can no longer expect masses of Jews to make aliyah, as they had from the Soviet Union, Ethiopia and the Middle East in previous decades.
“We still have an objective of aliyah, but it’s definitely a watershed point in the sense that we understand that a big proportion of Jews is hoping to stay in the Diaspora,” he said. “We recognize that now we have to shift the objective to keep them Jewish. It’s a big change. Israel has never stepped up to that.”
Bennett is also minister of Economy and Religious Affairs.

EJP