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Since the beginning of the war with Iran, more than 1,000 people have opened aliyah files.
By United with Israel Staff
More than 1,000 new aliyah files have been opened since the start of the war with Iran, according to Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer, who said the surge reflects a growing desire among Jews abroad to move to Israel during wartime.
Speaking Sunday morning on Kol Barama radio, Sofer said the numbers represent a significant increase in interest in immigration despite the ongoing conflict.
“Since the beginning of the war with Iran, more than a thousand people have opened aliyah files,” he said. “They want to be part of the hope.”
He added that more than 150 new immigrants have already arrived in Israel in recent weeks, even as missile attacks and security tensions continue across the country.
The increase comes as Israeli authorities continue to facilitate immigration despite wartime conditions.
Last week, a special flight carrying about 50 Jewish immigrants from France and Britain arrived at Ben Gurion Airport during the war, in a flight coordinated by the Jewish Agency and government ministries to allow immigration to continue despite the security situation.
The phenomenon was also addressed recently by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who framed it as part of the broader story of Jewish perseverance.
He said Israel’s ability to endure repeated threats comes from a national determination rooted in faith, history, and the belief that the Jewish people will never again face destruction or exile.
He recalled a recent conversation with President Donald Trump, who expressed astonishment at the number of people returning to Israel during wartime.
“President Trump said to me with astonishment: ‘Only in Israel are the rescue flights reversed. Everywhere else people want to flee war zones and only in Israel does everyone want to return.’”
Netanyahu said Trump repeatedly asked him what explains that phenomenon.
“He always asks me, ‘Where does this spirit come from?’” Netanyahu said. “And I answer him: it is the secret of our success. It is the resilience of our people. It is the power of our faith, the faith in the eternity of Israel.”
Even as Israel faces war and uncertainty, the continued rise in aliyah applications and arrivals suggests that for many Jews around the world, difficult times in Israel are not a reason to stay away, but a reason to come home.
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