The Impact of Soviet Jewish Immigration on Israeli Politics and Policy

The concept of immigration to Israel of Jews has been a central theme of the modern political Zionist movement. The basic goal has been to provide a haven for Jews confronting anti-Semitism and seeking to escape persecution. Large numbers of individual Jews and even whole communities have migrated to Israel from numerous countries around the world. Each immigrant group has had its own characteristics defined by reasons for leaving the place of origin, decisions to immigrate to Israel, size, political and socio-economic background, and impact on the Israeli system, among other factors. The current wave of Jewish immigration from the Soviet Union to Israel is, in virtually all respects, different from its predecessors. The primary purpose of this study is to address the impact of the ongoing wave of Soviet Jewish immigration on Israels political system and policies.