Over 100 new immigrants from Europe arrived in Israel on Wednesday, just one day after the ceasefire with Iran took effect, according to Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Ministry.
Most of the 110 new immigrants on the flight—which had been scheduled before the war began—are from France, with the rest coming from the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.
“In other countries, when there is war people flee, but in our country, people come to join us,” Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer said at a welcoming ceremony at the airport.
Yael Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews—one of the main partners in the effort—described the new immigrants as “the true heroes of our age.”
“Our very recent war and this period of uncertainty did not deter them. They understand what it means for the Jewish people to return to their homeland, and they are fulfilling their dream to be a part of that,” she said. “This is the ultimate response to those who seek to harm us.”
Since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 45,000 new immigrants have arrived in Israel, with about a third under the age of 35, according to the Aliyah and Integration Ministry.
Despite the ongoing war, some 32,000 immigrants came to Israel in 2024—a 31 percent decrease compared to the previous year.