Israeli expats in Berlin appeal to Merkel for help in facilitating 'aliyah' to Germany

The operators of a controversial Facebook page told Channel 2 on Friday that they have received over 9,300 requests from people wishing to leave the country.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (photo credit: REUTERS)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Israeli expats in Berlin say they have appealed directly to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for thousands of work visas to accommodate the flood of Israelis who would like to immigrate, Channel 2 is reporting on Friday.
The operators of a controversial Facebook page which was created to urge and facilitate the migration of Israelis to Berlin told Channel 2 on Friday that they have received over 9,300 requests from people wishing to leave the country.
The page, titled "Olim le Berlin" ("ascending to Berlin"), first caused a stir last week when it posted receipts from Berlin supermarkets highlighting the disparity in the prices of produce when compared to Israeli groceries.
"I asked for 25,000 temporary work visas for up to three years in accordance with the terms set out by the government of Germany," the Israeli who initiated the "immigrate to Berlin" campaign told Channel 2. "I also appealed to German economists who could help formulate a plan to make the Israeli housing and food markets more efficient."
"If it's cheap to live in Germany, then it must mean something is going right," he said. "So why not learn from them?"
 
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The campaign organizers published a post on the Facebook page saying that the current situation is "a bad reflection on the State of Israel."
"I gave an interview today to the German press," one of the organizers told Channel 2. "This weekend, the press will publish my personal appeal to Chancellor Angela Merkel for thousands of work visas. I am working hard and leaving no stone unturned for you [Israelis wishing to emigrate]."
The initiators of the Berlin campaign said they are hopeful that similar Facebook pages will crop up urging Israelis to relocate to other cities around the world where the cost of living is cheaper.