The Russians Are Not Leaving Israel More than Any Other Immigrant Group
This article was written as a response to Michael Philippov's "Why are the Russians Leaving Israel?" Arnon Sofer rejects Philippov's basic premise and argues that Russian Jews are not leaving Israel more than other immigrant groups. He further argues that Jews from the former Soviet Union have been satisfactorily integrated in Israel, and that the media's negative biases of Russian immigrants should not cast a shadow on the progress these immigrants have made in every sector of Israeli life.a
Response to "Why are the Russians Leaving Israel?"
Aliyah to Israel is a specific case of voluntary immigration, and the nature of such migrations is that they are often accompanied by a counter-wave of voluntary emigration. After all, immigration by choice is generally motivated by the desire to improve one's quality of life and personal security—something that does not necessarily materialize. The immigrants create for themselves a picture of the reality they seek, but in many cases they encounter unexpected difficulties and find themselves in a situation different from what they imagined. For this reason, many immigrants simply return "home." This is a well-known phenomenon around the world: It happened to hundreds of thousands of Italians who migrated to the United States and it is happening to a sizeable portion of Turkish migrants to Germany, who return home after harsh experiences in adjusting to Germany. Likewise, Japanese, Chinese, Hong Kongers, Poles, Britons and others are returning home.
Israel is no exception. Every wave of Aliyah to Israel (from countries where returning was an option) was accompanied by repeated waves of emigration. The bulk of immigrants from what became known as the Second Aliyah (1904–1914) left the country, some to return to Russia and others to live in the United States, South America, and elsewhere. Even German immigrants to pre-state Palestine, who were forced to flee Germany, returned there following World War II.
Between 1990 and 2006, roughly one million people immigrated to Israel from Russia. Of these, some 80,000 (representing 8-10%) have left the country. The proportion of American immigrants who have left has passed the 50% mark—a stinging defeat from our perspective, though not surprising. By contrast, only a small number of immigrants have gone back to Argentina, Britain, or Morocco. Thus the figures demonstrate that not only are Russian Jews not leaving Israel more than other immigrant groups, but the percentage of their emigrants is not so high in comparison with other groups. This fact contradicts Philippov's basic premise.
It should also be understood that the Russian Aliyah involved a very special set of circumstances, without historical precedent: The mass wave of Russian immigration took place during a chaotic period in the new Russia—a time of uncertainty, deep fears of anti-Semitism, and a desire to escape to the Free World. It was not long before Putin took control and restored order to Russia. Petrodollars brought in vast amounts of capital, instantly transforming the economic situation, especially in the major cities, where Jews have tended, and tend still, to live. It is no wonder that Russia has changed from a land that repels Jews to a place that attracts them; and indeed, many Russian Jews are tempted to return to the familiar scenes of their homeland.
In 2007, Russian Jews have no desire to immigrate to Israel; but the reasons for this can be traced to Russia's flowering, not Israel's 'unattractiveness.' Under such circumstances, the fact that the bulk of Russian immigrants (some 800,000 individuals) have stayed should actually be seen as a major success.
As for measures of success in the absorption of Russian Jewry, I can testified—based on my experience and not on any quantitative study—that I come across many Russian immigrants in universities, some of them in key positions. I find them in the world of medicine, the world of industry, the IDF and other bureaus of the defense establishment. I observe their dominance of the music world in Israel. They have almost total control of the wholesale sector at various levels. They enjoy a diverse range of newspapers and magazines, and they hold positions of power in several political parties. It is unfortunate that, when it comes to the Russian Aliyah, the tabloid press has zeroed in specifically on prostitutes, drunks, and the Mafia, instead of focusing on the vital force of Russian Jewry.
To conclude, I reject Philippov's arguments and feel that, in the final analysis, the Jews of Russia have been satisfactorily integrated in Israel.
The original article by Michael Philippov can be found here.