How Not to Attract Immigrants to Israel
For years I have been writing about the need to attract talent to Israel. In one post, I even suggested that the government can and should pay $500,000 to bring software engineers on Aliya to Israel. This shabbat I was reading about 2500 years of Jewish history and population migration when it hit me.
The Israeli Government Ministry responsible for Aliya is called the Ministry of Aliya and ABSORPTION. It should be called the Aliya ATTRACTION Ministry.
I am sure the Ministry was set up to “absorb” immigrants running from the Holocaust, Soviet Jails, Anti-semitism in the Arab and North African countries. Hence, it was busy absorbing the refugees, refuseniks, runaways etc. from those countries. Like a sponge that absorbs water or a catchers mitt that waits for the ball, they waited, built tents and absorption centers and the people came running. That was and is a noble job. It was absolutely critical from the founding of the State of Israel through the 1990s. There is also something amazing about the fact that a fledgling State was and is ready, willing and able to absorb all people. It is, somewhat, unique to Israel.
But look at their website which is stuck in the 1990s both visually and strategically. “Easing regulations for dentists” is so “absorption.” If you want to attract great dentists, you would write “We need your dental talents in Israel, let us make it dead simple for you to come and succeed.” Look at the bottom right: “What best applies to you??” And your choices are: “I plan” this and “I plan” that. What about “We want you to move to Israel! Here are places you can live or visit…here is a list of great opportunities in Israel and people who would be interested in you.” The website is a symptom. Tragically, I think it is indicative of strategy and approach.
Times change and the world has changed. We need a new approach and strategy that ATTRACTs immigrants before Anti-semitism arrives. Even better, we need to ATTRACT immigrants because it is attractive to live in Israel. This is a great country.
We need a narrative and a strategy that attracts talents and immigrants the way tech companies attract talent: with challenges to aspire to greatness, with a great economy, with a great standard of living and a moral fabric of society that people want to join and help build. We need to actively target magnets who bring great people in, science, humanities, jewish thought, business, arts and management to Israel. That will bring others in much the same way that Nehemiah set the stage for a great stride forward for the second Jewish Commonwealth 2500 years ago.
The State of Israel is in a new phase of development. The world is in a competition for talent. Berlin is offering free education and easy visas. We need to compete with Berlin and America and our secret weapon is that we are the Jewish State. BUT…that is going to require not only a new name and brand but an entirely different approach. It is high time we got serious about it. Let’s not wait to need to absorb runaways. Instead, let’s put our best foot forward and attract people to the opportunities and quality of life on shores of the Mediterranean and Hills of the Galilee. It really is amazing here.
