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After Israel plunged into war, these Jews moved there anyway
TEL AVIV (JTA) — When Yona and Mikhael Benichou decided over the summer to move to Israel from their home in France, they set a target date of around a year later — in time for their eldest son, David, 15, to begin his studies for Israel’s matriculation exams.
But after Oct. 7, they sped up their plans to immigrate, known in Hebrew as making aliyah. The straw that broke the camel’s back, Yona Benichou said, came a week after the attack when the family, who wear identifiably Jewish symbols, were spat on by a group of rugby fans while walking down the street in their hometown of Marseilles.
“I was in total shock, I didn’t know how to react. Lots of other people saw what happened but no one tried to help us,” she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
“The antisemites were always there. But after October 7, we felt like they have a platform to do whatever they like and that no one — and definitely not the French authorities — can stop them.”
The Benichous landed in Israel on Oct. 31, arriving in a country still reeling from Hamas’ devastating attack on its southern communities and in the early stages of a grueling ground war that has reshaped society. They are among the more than 2,600 people whom Israeli authorities say have chosen to move to Israel over the last two months despite the crisis.
Almost all of the new arrivals had been planning to move to Israel for some time, though a handful, like the Benichous, have accelerated their immigration.
Aaron Gold, 26, had planned to move next year and was in the country visiting when the war broke out. His parents, alarmed by the emergency evacuation of American citizens and by the fact that Gold did not live in an apartment with a safe room, pressured their son to return to the United States. He flew back to Philadelphia on Oct. 18 but said he “despised” being there and returned to Israel as a new immigrant on Nov. 16.
Gold, a product manager at Deloitte, said making aliyah had “always been a dream of mine” and said he felt waiting to see how the war played out would not make any difference.
Aaron Gold poses with his mother before flying to Israel from the United States in November 2023. (Courtesy Gold)
“Hezbollah could attack now, they could attack in six months, they could attack in six years,” he said. “You can’t plan it.”
According to Israel’s Immigration and Absorption Ministry, 2,662 people have made aliyah since Oct. 7, including 1,635 from Russia, 218 from the United States, 128 from Ukraine, 116 from France, and 106 from Belarus.
The numbers are smaller than the average in recent years and dramatically lower than the same period for 2022, when 16,400 new immigrants arrived, propelled by people escaping the war in Ukraine. They also come at the end of a year when political discord in Israel had already depressed immigration beyond the usual rate.
Still, the new immigrants, known as olim, demonstrate that during challenging times, some Jews will still choose to move to Israel. And the organizations that support them say they anticipate a flood of arrivals in the near future, once the war ends but while concerns about spiking antisemitism are still fresh.
The Benichous reached out to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, which has helped 317 people make aliyah since Oct. 7. The organization purchased flights for the family and donated around $2,000 toward the cost of furniture for the family’s new apartment in the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh.
According to the group’s president, Yael Eckstein, fewer new immigrants have arrived in Israel since Oct. 7 than other years due to a combination of canceled flights and decisions to put plans on hold until the security situation stabilizes. But she said she has seen an “increase in the number of requests for information about the immigration process from countries where cases of antisemitic incidents have risen.”
Nefesh B’Nefesh has facilitated aliyah for 384 people from the United States and Canada since the start of the war, mostly for people who had begun the process long before Oct. 7, the group’s vice president of communications, Yael Katsman, told JTA.
Still, like Eckstein, Katsman pointed to a “vast surge” in interest since the attack, marking an “an unprecedented increase” of more than 100% in aliyah applications compared to the same timespan in 2022. She attributed the spike to an increased “commitment to building Israel” by Diaspora Jewry during “difficult historic events.”
Many people who initiate aliyah applications, required for new immigrants to secure a range of benefits, do not end up completing them. But the chair of the Jewish Agency, which facilitates immigration, recently told an Israeli news station that he expects 1 million new Jewish immigrants in the coming years — a number that would dramatically reshape the country of about 10 million.
The agency’s head of international relations, Yigal Palmor, was more circumspect in comments to JTA but likewise said signs pointed to a rise in new arrivals. One thousand people initiated applications in France in October and November, according to agency data, marking a 470% increase over the previous two months.
“We’ve witnessed a dramatic rise in aliyah applications since the outbreak of the conflict, most notably in France and the U.S.,” Palmor said. “We will probably see the results in the coming months, but it’s premature to predict numbers.”
People get information about moving to Israel at a Jewish Agency fair in France in December 2023. (Courtesy Jewish Agency for Israel)
Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer told JTA in a statement that his ministry was preparing for a surge in immigration as a result of the war.
Since Oct. 7, there has been “a lot of interest [in immigration] from young people, students and young couples from western countries, including those from western European countries where people in the past did not show much interest in immigrating,” Sofer said.
The two main reasons, he said, were “growing antisemitism around the world, and solidarity with Israel.”
Gold said antisemitism in the United States redoubled his commitment to move to Israel permanently.
“You kind of realize you’re afraid to go to work, not only of physical violence but just emotionally,” he told JTA about his return in October. “I was with coworkers who told me that from their office they were able to hear people saying, ‘Restart the Intifada, death to the Jews’ and things like that.”
Israeli Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer poses at Ben-Gurion Airport with some of the 25 new immigrants who arrived from New York on Oct. 19, 2023, less than two weeks since Israel was thrust into war. (Courtesy Nefesh B’Nefesh)
Daniel Bleiweiss, 51, made aliyah with his 14-year-old son Emiliano this fall from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had made the decision years ago, but postponed it because of the pandemic as well as bureaucratic issues related to Emiliano’s adoption, a yearslong process that was resolved only in 2019. Bleiweiss, a physician, planned on arriving in Israel on Oct. 10 with his wife Natalia and her teenage daughter, Lucia, from a previous marriage. The war threw a wrench into their original plan and the flights were canceled. Ultimately, the family decided that Daniel and Emiliano would move immediately, while Natalia and Lucía would join them in the future when conditions become more stable.
Bleiweiss cited several reasons for wanting to make aliyah, including Argentina’s economic crisis and the South American country’s inadequate resources to support his son, who has learning and social difficulties. But like the other new immigrants JTA spoke to, the main impetus was a rise in antisemitism coupled with a strong desire to live in the Jewish homeland, which he described as a “historic responsibility.”
Bleiweiss recounted a recent incident in which his wife had tried to check into a hotel where she had a reservation. The clerk saw the Israeli visa in her passport and subsequently refused to allow her to stay at the hotel, Bleiweiss said, adding that his wife chose not to press charges. He also said that his son had been bullied at school for being Jewish.
“It is painful, but it reinforces our conviction that Israel is the safest place to be Jewish right now, and it is perhaps the only place where we can express our identity proudly and in peace,” he said.
Daniel and Emiliano Bleiweiss’ immigration flight was canceled after Oct. 7 but they rescheduled and now live in Israel. (Courtesy International Fellowship of Christians and Jews)
Bleiweiss said that another reason he didn’t want to delay his aliyah again was because he felt compelled to be in the Jewish state in its time of need.
“If a friend is in trouble, you shouldn’t wait for a better time to go see him,” he said. “That’s the time you should be there.”
Meanwhile, in Beit Shemesh, life isn’t without its challenges for the Benichou family. Because of how suddenly they left France, they didn’t have time to save up money or sell their belongings.
“We never thought in a million years we would come within a month. We came without any money,” Yona Benichou said. “It’s not easy to build yourself anew.”
But there are no regrets for Benichou or her children, who she said were understanding of the fact that this Hanukkah they wouldn’t be receiving gifts on every night of the festival as they were used to from previous years. “My 8-year-old son told me, ‘Mommy, we don’t need Hanukkah presents this year. The biggest present is that we’re here.’”
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Netherlands, Ireland Will Not Participate in Eurovision if Israel Joins, Broadcasters Announce
A logo of the Eurovision Song Contest is seen in front of the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, May 1, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
The national broadcasters for both Netherlands and Ireland announced this week they will not compete in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel also participates due to the country’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during the current Israel-Hamas war.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS made the announcement on Friday, a day after Irish broadcaster RTE said it will not join the Eurovision “if the participation of Israel goes ahead.”
“AVROTROS can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” the Dutch company said in a statement. The broadcaster said its participation in the 2026 Eurovision “will not be possible as long as Israel is admitted by the EBU [European Broadcasting Union].” AVROTROS explained that if the EBU bans Israel from the international competition, the Dutch broadcaster “will gladly take part” in the Eurovision next year.
The organization, which is part of the Dutch public broadcasting umbrella NPO, manages Dutch participation in the Eurovision and holds broadcasting rights for the competition. The Netherlands has participated in the contest since its first year, back in 1956, and has won five times.
RTE Director General Kevin Bakhurst said the Irish broadcaster’s participation in the Eurovision alongside Israel would be “unconscionable” because of the “ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.” Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said he supports and “absolutely respect[s]” RTÉ’s decision. Ireland has participated in the song contest since 1965 and has won the competition seven times.
The national broadcasters of Spain, Slovenia, and Iceland have also threatened to boycott the 2026 Eurovision if Israel participates. Broadcasters have until mid-December to pull out of the 2026 Eurovision in Vienna, Austria, without any penalty. The EBU is expected to make a decision about Israel’s participation before the end of the year at its General Assembly.
“We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest,” Eurovision director Martin Green said in a statement. “It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”
The 2026 Eurovision will take place in Vienna in May. Austrian singer JJ won this year’s competition in Basel, Switzerland, with his song “Wasted Love,” and he has also called for Israel to be banned from the 2026 competition.
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US Orthodox Jewish Couple Assaulted in Venice Amid Surge of Antisemitic Attacks Across Italy
Demonstrators participate in a pro-Palestinian protest in Piazza Duomo in Milan, Italy, on Nov. 23, 2024. Photo: Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect
An American Orthodox Jewish couple was physically assaulted in Venice by a group of anti-Israel agitators, drawing condemnation from the city’s mayor amid a surge of antisemitic incidents targeting Italy’s Jewish community.
Last weekend, a Jewish couple was walking through Venice in traditional Orthodox clothing when three assailants confronted them, shouted insults including “Free Palestine,” and physically attacked them, slapping both.
According to local Italian reports, authorities apprehended the three assailants, who are believed to be of North African origin. Two of them were issued expulsion orders and the third was deported.
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro strongly condemned the incident as a “serious and unacceptable act,” assuring the local Jewish community of the city’s commitment to their safety.
“Venice is and must continue to be an open, welcoming, and safe city, where mutual respect forms the foundation of civil coexistence,” Brugnaro said in a post on X.
“The aggression suffered by two American citizens of Jewish faith is a serious and unacceptable act, which I condemn with the utmost firmness,” he continued.
The local Jewish community also denounced the attack, pointing to the escalating climate of intolerance and the targeted incidents they have experienced since the start of the war in Gaza.
“Reiterating its condemnation of this vile and ignoble act, the Jewish community emphasizes that episodes like these certainly raise questions about Venice’s role as a welcoming city, while a climate of intolerance is emerging that today affects the entire Venetian community,” the statement read.
This incident follows another attack on a Jewish couple in Venice last month, when a man and his pregnant wife were harassed near the city center by three unknown individuals.
The attackers approached the couple, shouting antisemitic insults and calling the husband a “dirty Jew,” while physically assaulting them by throwing water and spitting on them.
One of the assailants later set his dog on the couple in an attempt to intimidate them before the group stole their phones.
These incidents come amid a surge in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment across Europe and around the world since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In Italy, Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults. Community leaders have warned that such incidents are becoming more frequent amid growing tensions related to the war in Gaza.
Earlier this summer, a Jewish man from France and his child were verbally assaulted at a gas station near Milan by a group of pro-Palestinian activists who shouted antisemitic slurs after seeing the child wearing a kippah, yelling phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “murderers” as they passed by.
In a separate incident, a masked individual targeted a synagogue in Rome, spray-painting a swastika and antisemitic slogans — “Sieg Heil” (“Hail Victory”) and “Juden Raus” (“Jews Out”) — on a sign near the entrance.
In May, a restaurant in Naples forced an Israeli family to leave, telling them, “Zionists are not welcome here.”
Earlier this year, a homeless Egyptian man in Rome attacked a Jewish boy and injured a shopkeeper who tried to intervene. In a separate incident, anti-Israel protesters defaced a synagogue with graffiti reading “Justice for a Free Gaza.”
Last year, a hotel manager in Rome canceled an Israeli couple’s reservation just one day before their trip, accusing them of genocide and telling them the hotel would “be happy to grant free cancellation.”
“We inform you that the Israeli people as those responsible for genocide are not welcome customers in our structure,” the hotel manager told the Israeli couple.
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Jewish Communities Across US, Israel Express Grief, Horror Over Assassination of Charlie Kirk
Roses and candles are placed next to a picture of Charlie Kirk during a vigil in front of the US Embassy after US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University, Orem, US, in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
The Jewish communities of the US and Israel mourned conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in the aftermath of his assassination on Wednesday, describing him as a champion of free speech and supporter of the Jewish state who was killed out of pure hatred.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, where he was engaging in dialogue with students. He is survived by his wife and two young children. A young Utah man — Tyler Robinson, 22 — was taken into custody on Thursday night as the suspected shooter, about 33 hours after the assassination, according to state and federal law enforcement.
Kirk was an outspoken supporter of Israel and advocate against antisemitism. He regularly debated students on the subject of Israel and brought his ideas to young people at a time when, according to recent polling, that age group was turning decidedly against the Jewish state.
“There’s a dark Jew hate out there, and I see it,” Kirk told a student during a podcast episode which aired earlier this year. “Don’t get yourself involved in that. I’m telling you it will rot your brain. It’s bad for your soul. It’s bad. It’s evil. I think it’s demonic.”
In response to Kirk’s murder, Jewish groups and leaders across the US and Israel expressed their grief and horror.
“Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X.
“I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact,” Netanyahu continued.
“I am shocked by the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk. Israel has lost a true friend and huge ally,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog added in his own statement. :I strongly condemn this terrible act of violence, and together with all the Israeli people, send my thoughts and prayers to Charlie’s wife, children, and all his loved ones.”
Similarly, the X account of the State of Israel emphasized that Kirk “was a steadfast friend of Israel and a true ally of the Jewish people. He stood proudly for the Judeo-Christian values that bind Israel and America. Charlie’s fearless commitment to truth and freedom cost him his life. Violence may have taken him, but it cannot silence his legacy. May his memory be a blessing.”
Charlie Kirk was a steadfast friend of Israel and a true ally of the Jewish people.
He stood proudly for the Judeo-Christian values that bind Israel and America.Charlie’s fearless commitment to truth and freedom cost him his life.
Violence may have taken him, but it cannot… pic.twitter.com/n76RDO9Dem— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 11, 2025
In addition to Israeli leaders expressing their shock and grief, so too did the religious movements of American Jewry.
The Orthodox Union posted on X a straightforward question: “What has become of us?”
“Today, September 10, is a day for our nation to strengthen its internal bonds as we prepare to commemorate the devastation brought upon America by enemies who continue to threaten us,”the group wrote. “Instead of coming together, we have witnessed another horrific act of political violence, another effort to tear our country apart. This must stop. We pray for the family of Charlie Kirk and for the future of the United States of America.”
The Religious Action Center, the political arm of the Reform movement, posted on BlueSky, “We are horrified by the violent attack on Charlie Kirk today in Utah. Yet again, the scourge of gun violence has caused terrible harm. We are praying for Mr. Kirk’s well-being and full recovery. Political violence has no place in our culture.”
And the Union for Reform Judaism added that “we remember that the nation’s future depends on overcoming our differences in ways that respect the humanity of those with whom we disagree.”
Jewish communal organizations made statements as well.
“This disturbing act of political violence has no place in our society and must be condemned across the political spectrum,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X. “We are heartbroken and outraged by the murder of Charlie Kirk and this horrific act of senseless violence. Our hearts are with Charlie’s beloved young family. May his memory be a blessing.”
Jonathan Greenblat, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote on X that “the murder of Charlie Kirk is terrifying, and we condemn the violence. Our deepest condolences to his family.”
Kirk was the founder of the conservative political organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which aimed to engage the youth vote and turn Gen Z into conservative voters and activists.