Tick ... tick ... tick ... the population bomb in Israel.

Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World:
"'A large portion of those who arrive here from the FSU are not Jews, while there is a huge Jewish population in Europe suffering from anti-Semitism.
"'The emigration from the FSU to Germany is entirely Jewish because the special aid packages provided by the German government are only available to those who can prove they are Jews according to halacha (Jewish law),' said Lau.
"'What we need to do is attract those same Jews to Israel.'"

The unstated subtext here is the inability of natural increase of the Jewish population of Israel to keep up with the increase of the Muslim population. With each passing year, the only Jewish state becomes a bit less Jewish. Thus the great lengths to which Israel will go to facilitate aliya (homecoming) even for Jewish communities who are under no particular threat where they are.

In the aftermath of the 1948 war, Jewish refugees poured in from many Muslim-majority countries. Later, there were efforts to encourage Jews from the Western democracies to come to Israel, then the emphasis shifted to the Soviet Union. Rabbi Lau complains that many coming to Israel now from the FSU (former Soviet Union) are not real Jews. This was the case in Soviet era as well. Whenever Jews were to be allowed to leave, the question of who was a Jew was settled by the status of the Soviet citizen's internal passport, whether or not that person was a Jew according to halacha (Jewish religious law). Thousands of these Soviet Jews have, over the years, re-emigrated from Israel to the US, Europe or other places. Now, it seems, Germany has a more attractive benefit package for those FSU Jewish emigres who can prove they are Jews according to halacha, leaving Israel with the non-religious FSU emigres.

Some years ago there was a highly publicized airlift to Israel of the ethnically Amharic Jewish community in Ethiopia. There was some controversy over the race issue, but the rabbinate was convinced that this was an authentic Jewish community of ancient origin. Later the so-called Black Hebrews of the US asked to be recognized as Jews, but their claim was rejected. In recent years, there has been some talk of a tribe from NE India claiming to have Jewish roots, although it is generally conceded that they have been practicing Christianity for over a millennium and only within the last generation or so have some claimed to be Jews.

I don't know how accurate Rabbi Lau's impressions are of the insecurity felt by Jews in Europe. I would not be at all surprised if the rising tide of Muslim immigration was causing such a reaction, although that cause is not mentioned here. I would like to see the US adopt a policy of admitting Jews without quota. If Jews are in the frying pan in Europe, jumping into the fire of the Middle East ought not to be the only choice available to them.