Israel’s first immigrants of 2026 arrive from Australia amid shifts in Jewish migration
The Sachs family from Sydney, Australia- father Trevor, mother Dalit, and daughter Ashira- became Israel’s first immigrants in 2026 after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday, as trends point to rising Jewish immigration from Western countries.
Ashira, Dalit and Trevor Sachs arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on Jan. 1
On landing, the three were greeted by Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer, received Israeli ID cards, and officially began their new life in the country. The family’s son, Levi Sachs, had already immigrated ahead of them and enlisted in the Israel Defence Forces.
“The Sachs family’s choice to immigrate to Israel, especially when their son is serving in the IDF, is gratifying and encouraging. We are working for the aliyah [immigration] of Australian Jews to Israel and have already taken and will continue to take significant steps to that end,” Sofer said.
The arrival of the Sachs family adds to the nearly 22,000 immigrants who moved to Israel in 2025.
According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), approximately 21,900 people moved to Israel last year, representing only about one-third of the previous year’s total.
Signalling a shift in the global pattern of Jewish migration, Russian and Ukrainian immigration fell by half, while arrivals from the United States, United Kingdom, and France increased. Overall, North American aliyah rose by 13 per cent, and French immigration jumped 45 per cent, the CBS reported.
The change is generally attributed to rising Western antisemitism.
“The changing composition of new immigrants shows how Israel continues to attract Jews from around the world,” a ministry spokesperson said.
As of December 31, 2025, Israel’s population stood at 10,178,000.
