Chairman of the Jewish Agency in a special interview: "The corona has taken a heavy toll on Jewish communities around the world" • "Failure to promote a government program to integrate immigrants - a tragedy"
When he took over as chairman of the Jewish Agency, Yitzhak (Buzi) Herzog was thinking about the long-term challenges facing the Jewish world and examined a series of action strategies for the next decade.
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In a special interview on the occasion of Sukkot in the "Israel of the Week" supplement, Herzog talks about the historic opportunity to take advantage of the current challenge and bring a quarter of a million immigrants to Israel within 3 to 5 years.
He said that in the absence of a government plan to ensure the integration of immigrants into society and the economy, "this could be a historic miss and no less a national tragedy."
Aware of the difficulty of generating public attention and government support these days but relying on the success of the 1990s aliyah, Herzog stresses: "It may sound a bit strange given the explosive economic, social and political situation, but immigration may become one of the tools to emerge from the crisis. "A wave of immigration entails economic recovery and growth. This is a tremendous opportunity for Israel, socially and economically."
Herzog addressed the heavy difficulty faced by the Jewish communities around the world under the virus, many of which paid a heavy price in the psyche and the fabric of human life was severely damaged.
"I do not remember the sentence that the president of the Jewish community in Rome told me in a strangled voice: 'We have not seen anything like this for more than 100 years except the Holocaust.' You hear such a thing and you try to think how you can help in the shortest possible time."
On the connection between Israel and the Diaspora during these challenging days, he says: "There has been a dramatic turnaround in relations. If in the past the Jewish communities were the ones who helped Israel during the crisis and war, now Israel is the one to help them. It is a long-term process."
Herzog added: "In the crisis, we discovered organized, strong and well-established communities that continue with a conscientious order of connection to Israel, even if virtual, and on the other hand those in which the internal whitewashing and sinking of the community structure stands out."
Alongside the difficulties, make sure to see the half full glass.
"The repercussions are enormous and yet, the mobilization of the Jewish federations of North America to save their sisters and brothers tens of thousands of miles away stood out in the distance. It warms my heart to see this mobilization."
The full interview - on Friday in the "Israel Hashavua" supplement
