My Hopes for Israel’s Next Decade

Newspaper: Jewish Herald
posted on:
22 In apr 1969
subjects:
Jewish Heritage - Anti-Semitism, Holocaust, Linguistics. Democracy , Diaspora - Diaspora Jewry, Exile, Selective Aliyah. Peace , Aliyah - Return to Zion. States - Soviet Union (Russia)
Begin shares four visions he has for Israel in the upcoming decade. He first says he would like to see peace because he does not want to see more Jewish bloodshed. He mentions how the Jewish nation would consist of about 200 million people, if it were not for the persecution each generation has endured. The second hope is to see the land in Israel flourishing, with a self-sufficient economy. Having a flourishing country leads to his third hope of increased immigration. He envisions a wave of mass immigration by Russian Jews. He also wants to see immigration amongst Jews from countries where Jews have fled to as a result of poverty, oppression, persecution and pogrom. He mentions that this will be more difficult to achieve. One way he thinks this can be achieved is through Jewish students coming to study at Israeli universities. His fourth hope is for the continuation of democracy, where there is both unity and disagreements.