Israeli foreign minister urges Jews abroad to move to Israel after Sydney attack
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JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday (Dec 21) called on Jews living in Western countries to move to Israel, citing what he described as a sharp rise in antisemitism, a week after a deadly attack at a Jewish event in Sydney.
Speaking at a public candle-lighting ceremony marking the final day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, Saar said Jews had the right to live safely everywhere but warned that history showed such security could not be taken for granted. “Today, Jews are being hunted across the world,” he said, urging Jews in countries including Britain, France, Australia, Canada and Belgium to “come to the Land of Israel” and “come home”.
The remarks followed the Dec 14 attack at a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed. Australian authorities have said the shooting was inspired by the ideology of the Islamic State group.
RISING ANTISEMITISM CLAIMS
Israeli leaders have repeatedly warned of a surge in antisemitism in Western countries since the outbreak of the Gaza war, triggered by Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel. They have accused foreign governments of failing to adequately protect Jewish communities.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Western governments to step up security for Jews worldwide, saying it was their responsibility to ensure the safety of Jewish citizens. In October, Saar also criticised British authorities over what he called a failure to curb a “toxic wave of antisemitism” following a deadly attack outside a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur.
LAW OF RETURN
Under Israel’s 1950 Law of Return, Jews anywhere in the world are entitled to immigrate to Israel, a process known as aliyah, and receive Israeli citizenship. The law also applies to people with at least one Jewish grandparent.
Saar’s call reflects a long-standing position among Israeli leaders that Israel serves as a refuge for Jews facing persecution abroad, a message that has gained renewed prominence amid heightened global tensions linked to the war in Gaza.
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