338 North American immigrants arrive in Israel

President Reuven Rivlin welcomes newcomers 
alongside Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar; 
108 of English-speaking immigrants plan to join IDF. 

by Gilad Moreg
Ynet
August 12, 2014

Operation Protective Edge has had little effect on the 
amount of immigration to Israel, shown by the Tuesday 
arrival of 338 newcomers from North America, 108 of which 
plan to join the IDF in the coming months. 

"We are very excited. We came to help the country," 
said 18-year-old Ran Shitrit. "This is an excellent feeling, 
I want to join Golani." 

The special flight organized by Nefesh B'Nefesh 
included  37 families and immigrants from the ages of 
one-and-a-half-months to 93. The new arrivals are mostly 
expected to take up residency in the southern and northern 
parts of the country. 

"I did a pre-Army service year and I felt that this is my place," 
said 19-year-old Jared from Philidephia. "I feel excellent here 
and my parents are proud and support me."
 
Daniel, a 22-year-old due to join the army at the next draft date, 
added that, "The war here doesn't change a thing. There's no more 
important time to be here." 

Besides the young immigrants, older couples also arrived on the 
flight and said, "It's never too late to make Aliyah. Steven, 
a 72-year-old who arrived with his wife said, "We need to stand 
with the Jews here. I have a daughter in Jerusalem but I also 
have 2 girls in Sacramento who stayed."

"We are going to live in Nahariya," Steven added. "We decided to 
make Aliyah a long time ago, but we didn't feel like it was the 
right time until now."

Brian and Zisi came with their two daughters and said upon arrival 
that, "This is the best time to come because we are needed here 
more than ever. We've wanted to make Aliyah out whole lives." 

Lia and Nicole, both 22-years-old, said that making Aliyah was 
realizing a dream. "We decided to make Aliyah together. 
Israel needs us and we'd prefer to be here despite the rockets, 
because that's Zionism."

President Reuven Rivlin welcomed the immigrants at the airport 
and said that, "The people in Israel appreciate your dedication, 
courage, and Zionism. Your presence here strengthens us."

Erez Halfon, Vice Chairman of Nefesh B'Nefesh, gave appreciation 
to the immigrants and said that, "They left their families behind them 
and the comfort of the United States in order to realize the 
Zionist ideal."

Minister of the Interior Gideon Sa'ar was also present and said that, 
"We can see the Zionism is alive. There are those who say that 
the US is the land of unlimited opportunity, but I say that 
about Israel."