On the backdrop of growing tensions and speculation over an imminent Russian invasion, Cabinet ministries in Jerusalem prepare for the possibility that thousands of Ukrainian Jews would want to immigrate to Israel. Reports this week revealed that representatives of government offices and groups, including the prime minister’s office, the Foreign Ministry, Diaspora Affairs Ministry, Absorption and Integration Ministry, and the Jewish Agency, met on Jan. 23 to discuss such an eventuality, including the possibility of airlifting Jews eligible to emigrate from Ukraine. Another such meeting is expected to take place Feb. 1 to reevaluate the situation.
According to some reports, the Ukrainian Jewish community includes about 48,000 people. Other reports say that some 75,000 Ukrainian nationals could be eligible for immigrating to Israel under the Israeli Law of Return, which offers Israeli citizenship and the right to immigrate to Israel to anyone with a Jewish grandparent. The Absorption Ministry said that in 2021, 3,080 Jews emigrated from Ukraine to Israel, a little bit more than the 2,971 who came from Ukraine in 2020. Israeli authorities reportedly expect these numbers to grow significantly this year, especially if tensions in Ukraine escalate.
