A group of Russian immigrants, with the support of several
immigrant organizations and parties in Israel, is demanding
that the Israeli government allow them to live inside the
country as Russians and even sent a letter asking Russian
President Vladimir Putin to help promote their cause.
Aleksai Korobov, who immigrated to Israel three years ago,
says, "I live in Israel but for the most part I feel like I'm
living in exile. I am a Russian, I was baptized as a
Christian and my homeland is Russia." Korobov is asking Putin
to help set up Russian cultural centers and is demanding that
the Israeli government make Russian one of its official
languages.
According to the Law of Return, Korobov was eligible for
immigration because his mother's father was Jewish. He is
married to a non-Jew and has a son who is of course not
Jewish. One year ago he set up the Slavic Union Organization
and asked MK Alexander Tzinker (Habechira Hademocrati) for
support in setting up a Russian autonomy in Israel. He is
also in contact with the Duma (the Russian parliament) and
the Russian Exile Institute, which helps Russian emigrants
around the world. "The Jews in Israel have to mix with
Russian blood," he claims. "I want to be called Russian
because I am not Jewish. I want my child to receive a Russian
education with Russian history and culture rather than a
Jewish education, because he is not a Jew. I am an Israeli.
Zionism is bankrupt and is under artificial respiration and
the time has come for it to disappear and what will remain
here is the Israeli character, which I, too, am a part of. We
serve in the army and contribute to the national economy. My
friends and I are immigrants and we are entitled to receive
all of the rights [of citizenship]. I wanted to emigrate to
Canada, Germany or the US, but I didn't have the opportunity,
so I came to Israel just like all the rest."
Illia Adzhashvili of the Association for the Rights of Mixed
Families in Israel rejects Korobov's statements saying it
would be damaging for immigrants to set up separate
communities because they would feel like minorities.
"Immigrants must mix with Israelis and become assimilated and
not live separately within [spheres of] Russian culture."
Chareidi public figures say Korobov's remarks indeed reflect
the sentiments of the more than half of the Russian
immigrants. They are not Jewish and do not want to convert.
Instead they want to live here as Christians after taking
advantage of immigrant benefits they receive based on the Law
of Return's "Grandchild Clause." They were forced to come
here due to difficult economic conditions and see themselves
as emigres.
In fact, their presence here poses a dire threat of
assimilation that could destroy the Jewish people, chas
vesholom, or cause deep problems that will plague
generations to come. The state of Israel cannot afford to
absorb tens of millions of non-Jews seeking to come from
around the world due to economic, social or medical
problems.
MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz told a Yated Ne'eman reporter
that he has submitted a proposed amendment to the Law of
Return but that his proposal is stuck in one of the Knesset
committees. Ravitz says the Jewish Agency shares the blame.
"Its representatives run all over Russia searching for non-
Jews who want to immigrate to Israel. Israeli government
ministers under Ariel Sharon are not lifting a finger to fix
the situation and even object to any amendment and to the
annulment of the Grandchild Clause. Certain MKs would like to
see the percentage of chareidim in the country diminish by
increasing the non-Jewish immigrants. The non-Jewish
immigrants are correct from their perspective. They are not
Jews and a Jewish education and Jewish customs cannot be
imposed on them. The entry of large numbers of non-Jews into
Israel will lead to a non-Jewish majority in the near future.
To these non-Jews are added the Palestinians living in the
country, foreign workers and additional immigrants. The
average Israeli will realize this too late, but in the
meantime nobody is working to prevent half a million non-Jews
from coming to Israeli and receiving full rights as equal
citizens."
"The State of Israel has turned into a bi-national state," MK
Rabbi Moshe Gafni told a Yated Ne'eman reporter. "The
Jewish Agency brings large numbers of non-Jews to Israel in
order to justify its existence. Certain figures encourage
aliyah in order to reduce the funds granted to chareidi
Jewry. Currently there is a majority in the Knesset opposed
to any change in the Law of Return and all that is left is to
hope that soon everyone will realize the danger before it's
too late."
