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World Zionist Organization Chair: Immigration to Israel Has Not Slowed Since Oct. 7, 100,000 New Olim Expected
Jewish immigration to Israel has not slowed over the past year despite the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, according to the chairman of the World Zionist Organization.
Yaakov Hagoel told The Algemeiner in an interview that since Oct. 7, when Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists invaded southern Israel and launched the war, more than 29,000 people have made aliyah, the process of Jews immigrating to Israel.
Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack — in which the Palestinian terror group killed 1,200 people, took another 251 hostage, and committed rampant sexual violence — began a war “not only against the State of Israel, but also against the entire Jewish people,” Hagoel said. He added that the onslaught, the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, “caused the Jewish community in Israel and around the world to feel less safe and secure.”
Since Oct. 7, antisemitism around the world has spiked to alarming levels. The Anti-Defamation League released a report in April showing antisemitic incidents in the US rose 140 percent last year, reaching a record high. Most of the outrages occurred after Oct. 7, during the ensuing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Meanwhile, such outrages have also skyrocketed to record highs in several other countries around the world, especially in Europe, since the Hamas atrocities. In France,for example, Jewish leaders have expressed concern about the safety of their community if French Jews don’t leave the country.
Consequently, Hagoel continued, “Jews around the world are looking for something more secure that they can rely on to raise their children and to link them to the Jewish traditions. And there’s no doubt that the interest in aliyah since Oct. 7 is related to it and hasn’t happened in many, many years.”
According to data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the number of annual immigrants to Israel since 2010 has ranged from almost 75,000 people to just 13,000 — with most years between 15,000 and 30,000. This would make the year after Oct. 7 relatively consistent with the past decade and a half.
However, Hagoel said he expects 100,000 new olim — the Hebrew term for immigrants who move to Israel — to come after the Israel-Hamas war is over.
Because of the war, Hagoel explained, “the expectation is that they would fall dramatically and they haven’t done that.”
But the reason people are coming is not just because of the war, he said. It is also because “anyone that makes aliyah is fulfilling a dream of returning home. So, the security situation around the world is a trigger to expedite that will to come home.”
In fact, Hagoel added, “there has been a dramatic increase in numbers in the opening of files to express an interest in aliyah and to begin the process — that’s increased by around 300 percent since the same period last year.”
After a recent plane of new olim came from France, Hagoel said it “demonstrates that the Jewish people are determined to continue building their future in our homeland, the land of Israel. This unprecedented aliyah is a testament to the recognition of the global Jewish community that Israel is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope and faith.”
Asked about a message he had for the Jewish world, Hagoel emphasized the responsibility he felt to Jews across the world, regardless if they will make aliyah, and how important it is to help them.
He said he and his organization feel a “responsibility for all the Jews who live in Israel, those who will live in Israel, and those who will never live here.”
The post World Zionist Organization Chair: Immigration to Israel Has Not Slowed Since Oct. 7, 100,000 New Olim Expected first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel and Syria Set to Hold First Senior-Level Talks Since Al-Sharaa’s Washington Visit
US President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, Washington, DC, US, Nov. 10, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
i24 News – Senior Israeli and Syrian officials are scheduled to meet Monday and Tuesday in Washington for talks mediated by US envoy Tom Barrack, i24NEWS has confirmed. This will mark the first such high-level meeting since Syrian Foreign Minister Al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington.
The Israeli delegation will be led by Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Roman Goffman, along with a senior member of the National Security Council. The Syrian side will be represented by the Syrian Foreign Minister, while US envoy Tom Barrack will attend on behalf of the United States.
Previous i24NEWS reporting has noted that broader Israeli-Syrian negotiations have progressed significantly. Discussions are reportedly focused on security arrangements and coordination, reflecting ongoing diplomatic engagement that precedes this week’s scheduled senior-level talks.
The meetings will cover concrete steps for cooperation and ways to manage ongoing regional tensions. No final agreements are expected at this stage, and outcomes will depend on follow-up consultations after the talks.
The upcoming sessions follow months of diplomatic activity aimed at improving communications between Israel and Syria. Officials emphasize that the talks are exploratory and intended to set frameworks for future dialogue on regional security and cooperation.
It remains unclear how quickly any formal agreements could be reached. Both sides are expected to continue consultations in the coming weeks to evaluate progress and determine the next steps in the diplomatic process.
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Iran’s National Security Council Holds Emergency Meeting Amid Protests Following Trump Threat
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, US, Sept. 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
i24 News – On Friday, after US President Donald Trump threatened military action, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council held a late-night emergency meeting to discuss ways to contain nationwide protests with less violence and to prepare for potential strikes, three Iranian officials familiar with government deliberations told The New York Times. The officials requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The three sources said senior officials privately acknowledged that the Islamic Republic had been thrust into “survival mode” as protests continued to rage. They added that the government faces limited options to address both economic challenges fueling public unrest and potential conflict with Israel and the United States.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly highlighted the severity of the country’s problems, telling the public that he had “no ideas” for solving Iran’s multiple crises, according to the officials.
Last week, Mr. Pezeshkian held two emergency meetings with his economic advisory committee, asking for guidance and written talking points if the crises deepen, two officials familiar with the meetings told the outlet. Some advisers reportedly suggested that the president emphasize Iran’s dual-power structure, noting that key decisions are made by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The emergency sessions come amid rising tensions following Trump’s statements and a struggling economy, which have contributed to escalating protests across the country. Officials are said to be weighing measured approaches to avoid inflaming public anger while maintaining security.
It remains unclear how Iran will respond to the protests in the coming days or whether any military escalation will occur. The government appears focused on monitoring developments and preparing contingency plans as the situation evolves.
Officials emphasized that the discussions are ongoing, and further decisions will depend on how the protests and regional dynamics develop over the next days.
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Trump Warns Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodríguez in Magazine Interview
Venezuela’s Vice-President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez addresses the media in Caracas, Venezuela, March 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez may pay a bigger price than ousted leader Nicolas Maduro “if she doesn’t do what’s right,” according to an interview with The Atlantic magazine.
Trump initially praised Rodriguez on Saturday after US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife from Caracas. Rodriguez said later, however, that her country would defend its natural resources.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump was quoted as saying in the telephone interview held as he arrived at his West Palm Beach golf course in Florida.
The US president defended his decision to take Maduro by force, telling the magazine: “You know, rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse.”
Trump also said other countries may be subject to American intervention. “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” he said of the island that is part of Denmark, a NATO country.