Mass immigration is a problematic suggestion


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month that he and his government encourage the “mass immigration” of Jews from Europe to their “home” of Israel. This announcement came in the wake of extreme and tragic instances of anti-Semitism in Europe.

On Feb. 14, a gunman opened fire in two separate attacks in Copenhagen that killed two people — a documentary filmmaker at a free speech event and a guard outside of a synagogue. The gunman was later killed by police, and others have been arrested in connection with the attacks. Tens of thousands of Danes attended memorials for the victims.

The attacks in Copenhagen mirror January’s terrorist attacks in Paris, which targeted the staff of the magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher market. Additionally, in France hundreds of Jewish graves were vandalized with anti-Semitic messages and signs.

Netanyahu also echoed the same sentiments in his speech to Congress on Tuesday. Though he mostly addressed Iran relations and how to counter ISIS-led terrorism, Netanyahu reiterated his stance on how to protect the world’s Jewish population. In allowing Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to continue his tweets that “Israel must be annihilated,” anti-Semitism has spread, and Jews around the world are left vulnerable.

It’s obvious that anti-Semitic acts throughout the world have gained dangerous traction in the last couple of months. Though Netanyahu’s invitation for European Jews to immigrate to Israel seems logical due to the circumstances, it could set a dangerous precedent, as the world cannot afford to see nations lose their religious diversity.

In the face of anti-Semitism, the first step for the Israeli government should not be to evacuate Jews from their homelands, but to act as a voice for marginalized Jews in Europe and elsewhere. Israel can use its national platform to encourage European countries to pass religious tolerance legislation and work toward making peace. As pointed out by Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League, Netanyahu is right to say that Israel will always open its arms to the Jewish population around the world, but to “urge” immigration would be a major step backward.

European countries have an equal role in securing the future of religious diversity. As people see Denmark mourning the victims of the Copenhagen attacks, they will be more willing and ready to take action against anti-Semitic crimes. The attacks in Europe should prompt governments to make a concerted effort to reduce hate crime and increase tolerance for people of all religions. A lack of effort on the part of European governments would propagate a sense of nationalism that excludes Jewish identity — an outcome obviously unfavorable to the vast number European citizens in favor of acceptance.

In this case, the potential for a loss of cultural and religious diversity in Europe is significant. The concentration of the world’s Jewish population in Israel sets a dangerous precedent for the congregation of certain religious groups all over the world.

The nation of Israel was formed under special circumstances, circumstances which by no means should be marginalized or deemed unnecessary. However, 70 years after the Holocaust, the world should be ready and willing to do better for the Jewish people by creating safe havens other than just Israel.

Hopefully, one day Israel will be able to exist as a nation unencumbered by the necessity to provide an oasis for Jews from hatred and violence. Until such time, Netanyahu’s suggestion of “mass immigration” might not be out of the question, but it should not be the only way to secure a safe future for Jews around the world.

3 replies
  1. Don Harmon
    Don Harmon says:

    Lots of “shoulds” about desired world attitudes and actions in Morgan Buckley’s article. In the current world, though, the Israelis must look out for themselves. Based on recent statements from the White House, US Government support for this democracy could dry up. And given the President’s desperate desire to make some kind, any kind, of accommodation, with the fanatical Iranian government, the Israelis may soon be facing the threat of a new Holocaust – a nuclear holocaust launched from Iran.

  2. Arafat
    Arafat says:

    Europe was also rebuilt in the shadow of European guilt about the
    Holocaust. For Europeans who want to get rid of the guilt, supporting the
    “Palestinians” allows them to pretend that the Israeli Jews are just as criminal
    as the Europeans were at the time of Nazism. The old saying that Europeans will
    never forgive the Jews for Auschwitz remains true: to get rid of their guilt,
    many Europeans have to find a way to declare that the Jews are guilty — of
    anything.

  3. Sun
    Sun says:

    It’s not called immigration when someone leaves a country. It’s called “emigration.”

    P.S. EUROPE FOR THE EUROPEANS. I’m glad that Europe is changing for nationalism. Those non Europeans minorities should leave.

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