520 olim arrive from US, UK, Canada

520 new immigrants from the United States, Canada and the 
United Kingdom arrived on three flights sponsored by Nefesh 
B'Nefesh and the Jewish Agency Wednesday morning and were 
welcomed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and agency Chairman 
Ze'ev Bielski. 

Olmert's decision to greet the newcomers showed the "great 
importance" he placed on their arrival, a spokesman from his 
office said. 

Speaking to the new arrivals at Ben Gurion Airport, Olmert 
stressed Israel's success in garnering international support for 
its battle against Hizbullah. 

"As opposed to previous experiences," he said, "the state of Israel 
was not isolated and not alone. A large part of the international 
community supported Israel and justified the act that the state of 
Israel took to defend its people." 

He singled out the United States, the England, and Canada for 
their backing of Israel. 

"There can be no stronger (show) of trust in the state of Israel 
than your decision to come to live here," Olmert claimed. 

"We are not an easy country to live in, you don't know it yet, 
you'll find out soon," the PM added, "but there is no other home 
but this one." 

The agency estimates that 24,000 people will immigrate to Israel 
in 2006, up from 22,657 a year earlier. More than 4,000 new olim 
have arrived since the beginning of July. 

Jewish Agency spokesman Michael Jankelowitz praised the olim 
who arrived during the 35 days of violence, saying many of them 
had decided to make aliya two years ago, during the worst days 
of the second intifada. 

Their "ideological" decision to return to the Land of Israel, 
Jankelowitz said, was not changed by the war in the north. 

"These olim had decided before the conflict erupted that they were 
coming home to Israel," said Jankelowitz. "When the chips are 
down, it doesn't mean that the desire to return home goes away. 
These people thought the best way to show support for Israel and 
the best answer to Israel's enemies is to come and live in Israel."