Sharon wants to get 1 million Jews into Israel: Newspaper

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, March 12, 2004

Sharon wants to get 1 million Jews into Israel: Newspaper

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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon attempted to determine in a recent meeting how Israel could get one million Jews to immigrate over the next several years, Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported Friday.

The meeting, attended by ministers and representatives of agencies involved with immigration, did not produce an answer, the report said.

But it was agreed that practical plans for bringing the Jewish immigrants into Israel would be prepared at a follow-up session in June.

Sharon left the meeting believing this goal was attainable, his associates were quoted as saying.

Jewish Agency officials told the meeting that in the most optimistic scenario, immigrants could increase to 70,000 a year by 2010, including 20,000 from the former Soviet Union, 20,000 from France and 15,000 from North America.

Overall, the target of one million immigrants would require some400,000 from North America and another 200,000 from the former Soviet bloc, they said.

In the meantime, however, immigration to Israel has been declining steadily, the report said.

Only 24,434 people immigrated in 2003, the lowest number since 1989, and merely 2,650 people have arrived so far this year, a decline of about 30 percent compared to the same period last year.

Improved economic situation in Russia and Ukraine has stemmed the tide of Jewish immigration with the number of people leaving Israel for the countries now exceeding those immigrating from them.

In Argentina, economic improvement has also dried up the flow ofimmigrants, the report said.

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