Russia Jewish Agency is secretly planning on relocating to Israel

#JewishAgency in #Russia is secretly planning on relocating to Israel

The Jewish Agency has secretly launched a plan to move its operations in Russia to Israel and to run the aliyah process remotely, The Jerusalem Post has learned.


The decision follows the Russian Justice Ministry’s request on Thursday to shut down the agency’s activities in Russia. In the meantime, there will be a court discussion on the case this week, the Post has learned, and until then, the agency is trying to fight its case.

“The Jewish Agency employees are working on packing up, metaphorically, and re-evaluating their challenges and work,” said a source close to the agency.

The understanding is that there is no solution for the complicated legal situation in Russia, and therefore there is a need to create a system that will enable long-distance aliyah applications.

Even though the aliyah process is able to move to an online platform, it won’t be convenient for the elderly, because face-to-face connections will no longer exist.

A source in the agency explained that without the ability to promote aliyah in Russia, the immigration rates will drop dramatically in the coming years.

The agency has just a few Israeli shlichim (emissaries) in Russia and about 100 local employees. It is unclear if there will be a solution for these employees if it is forced to close its operations there.


A joint delegation from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign, Justice and Aliyah and Integration ministries will be sent to Russia to ensure that the Jewish Agency can continue its operations, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Thursday. Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai will also be participating in the meeting.

Members of the delegation will mainly be legal advisers from the different ministries.

Even though these legal experts do not have a full understanding of the Russian justice system, they intend to show Moscow that the Israeli government is “serious” about its intentions to solve the issue, a government source said.

Prime Minister Lapid

“The Jewish community in Russia is deeply connected to Israel, and its importance increases in any political conversation with the Russian leadership,” Lapid said. “We will continue to work through diplomatic channels so that the important activities of the Jewish Agency do not stop.”

Lapid is expected to meet on Sunday with Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata and Jewish Agency acting chairman Yaakov Hagoel.

He has invited other ministers who hail from former Soviet states to participate, including Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman (who grew up in Moldova), Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov (who grew up in Birobidzhan) and Housing and Construction Minister Ze’ev Elkin (who grew up in Ukraine).

Lapid will consult with them on possible strategies since they understand Russian culture – and some of them, such as Elkin, are familiar and close with the Kremlin.

Russian aliyah

About 30,000 Russian citizens have applied for aliyah since Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February. In addition, about 5,000 Russians have been approved to make aliyah.


However, the immigration rate from Russia to Israel is lower than what it would be since there are barely any flights between the two countries. Most airlines from Western countries have stopped flying to Russia because of international sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.

According to sources in the agency, about 1,000 people arrive daily at the agency’s different offices across Russia with the intention of making aliyah, but not all of them qualify.

The agency responded on Thursday to reports on the demand for liquidation of the organization in Russia. “The information you have is inaccurate,” spokeswoman Hagit Halali said.

“A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next Thursday on the matter, and this is the continuation of the legal proceedings. As we have said so far, we will not respond during the legal process.”