Doron Almog, chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, spoke at the Tower of David Museum to participants of the annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration and pilgrimage, organized by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), and listed his organization's three key priorities.
Almog said that the chief priority was to bring in a million new olim (immigrants to Israel) “sooner rather than later.” This aim was not only in reaction to the surge of antisemitism, which is spreading throughout the world, but because Israel needs “more power demographically, economically, and militarily.”
Second, the Jewish Agency wants to imbue Jews around the globe with a strong motivation to identify and stand in solidarity with Israel.
Third is the matter of the kind of society that Israel wants to establish. “The main goal is not war,” he said. “Fighting is just a means. We want a loving, inclusive society, striving for excellence but never leaving the weakest sectors behind [like] the rest of the world.”
Almog, who has a distinguished military history, thanked the family of ICEJ President Juergen Buehler for allowing two of their sons to serve in combat units in the IDF during the present war against Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian proxies.
The ICEJ, which works closely with the Jewish Agency and the Jerusalem Municipality, as well as the Federation of Local Authorities, has consistently paid for the flights of approximately 10 percent of immigrants, particularly those who suffer from racial or religious prejudice and economic deprivation.
Helping olim and Israel
This practice has continued with the 32,000 olim who came to Israel over the past year, with the ICEJ donating NIS 4 million to the Jewish Agency for aliyah purposes.
In addition to paying the fares for olim from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, France, and South Africa, this year the ICEJ donated five new ambulances to Israel, ATVs for use by firefighters, and has built or repaired 200 underground shelters, said ICEJ Senior Vice President David Parsons.
He noted that millions of Christians pray for Israel through a daily broadcast prayer service conducted by ICEJ on social media platforms.
Throughout the years, he added, the ICEJ has helped to bring a total of 188,000 olim to Israel.