Some 31,000 immigrants arrived in Israel under the shadow of war over the past Hebrew year, government figures released on Sunday show.
The wartime wave of aliyah from more than 100 countries comes at a time of surging antisemitism around the world.
The great majority of the immigrants came from Russia, followed by the U.S. and Canada, according to the data from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency released ahead of Rosh Hashana, which begins on Wednesday evening.
Nearly 20,000 olim arrived from Russia, and about 3,350 came from the U.S. and Canada. There were more than 1,820 from France, 980 from Ukraine, 975 from Belarus, 560 from Great Britain, more than 450 from Argentina, more than 300 from Georgia, 280 from South Africa, 250 from Brazil, 220 from Uzbekistan, 160 from Germany, 150 from Azerbaijan, 135 from Australia, 130 from Mexico, and over 100 from Kazakhstan.
Thirty-one percent of the year’s immigrants are aged 18-35, while 20% are younger. Ten percent are aged 66 and up.
Slightly more than half (52.5%) of the olim who arrived this year are women and girls—16,030, compared to 14,530 males, the figures show.
Netanya gets most
The coastal city of Netanya, known for its large community of French speakers, received the most olim this year, more than 4,700, followed by Tel Aviv, with about 4,480; Haifa, which became home to more than 3,870 new olim; Jerusalem, with about 2,260; Bat Yam, with some 1,880; and Ashdod, with around 1,100.
Surge in interest
The data also shows that there has also been a marked rise in interest in aliyah since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre.
France leads the list of countries opening aliyah files, with an increase of more than 350%. A total of 6,040 people opened files to date, compared to 1,330 in the corresponding period last year.
There was a 60% increase from the U.S., with aliyah files opened for 6,590 people since the outbreak of the war. There was a growth of 87% in Canada with 870 people voicing interest in moving to Israel, and a 62% uptick from the United Kingdom, with nearly 900 immigration files opened.
“Over the past year, tens of thousands of olim have arrived in Israel from all over the world, choosing to come at the most challenging of times,” said Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer. “This is a powerful and significant expression of the deep connection between the Jewish Diaspora and Israel.”
Jewish Agency Chairman Doron Almog said, “These days, olim are a symbol of the wonderful spirit of the Jewish people. A spirit of devotion and love. A spirit we need more than ever.”
