Comments on: Shuffling the deckchairs…writes Michael Kuttner https://www.jwire.com.au/shuffling-the-deckchairs-writes-michael-kuttner/ Australia, NZ and worldwide Jewish news that matters Sun, 22 Feb 2015 10:39:28 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Michael Kuttner https://www.jwire.com.au/shuffling-the-deckchairs-writes-michael-kuttner/#comment-132352 Sun, 22 Feb 2015 10:39:28 +0000 http://www.jwire.com.au/?p=50416#comment-132352 Thanks, Liat, for your comments.
Re. your question about mass influx of aliyah from Europe & possibly USA and how Israel would cope: realistically speaking you can forget about mass aliyah from the USA. Given the high and increasing rate of assimilation and detachment from anything Jewish combined with the fact that more than 70% of Jews voted for Obama the probability of any mass migration is remote. Even if anti Jewish pogroms should break out my guess is that only a few would get the message. As far as Europe is concerned the steadily deteriorating situation there will mean large numbers moving to Israel and elsewhere although given past history the majority will sit tight believing that it will all blow over and that they will be safeguarded. The rise of extreme anti Jewish political parties in France, the Balkans,Hungary, Greece, Turkey etc. combined with financial collapses and austerity makes a secure Jewish future in Europe doubtful. As usual many will leave it too late. Israel can cope with this scenario. After all it absorbed over a million Jews from Russia and although there were hiccups overall we coped.

Ideally speaking making aliyah should be as a result of personal commitment to rebuilding the Land of Israel and not a byproduct of Judeophobia. However, we do not live in an ideal world and therefore unlike in previous generations Jews facing terror, mayhem and murder have somewhere to go. If only that option had existed prior to World War 2. The question remains however, how many are wise enough to make the move before it is too late?

]]> By: Liat Nagar https://www.jwire.com.au/shuffling-the-deckchairs-writes-michael-kuttner/#comment-132216 Sat, 21 Feb 2015 07:52:31 +0000 http://www.jwire.com.au/?p=50416#comment-132216 Such a comprehensive and well-argued article, Michael Kuttner. I can see the links, the connectedness of psychological responses by Rabbis and world leaders alike to the very same pattern that was 1930s Europe. Also I believe that anti-Semitism lies dormant, just waiting for events to allow it release again, as we have now. It seems the Holocaust and great shifts of population, the emergence of the State of Israel, none of those huge, momentous happenings have done anything to change that.

So, it’s more than possible you’re absolutely right. How would Israel cope with a sudden influx of so many if millions of Jews in Europe, and even the US, made aliyah? It might seem a banal question under the circumstances, but I keep pondering it. I’d value your opinion.

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