Representative Press Blog

Israel welcomes Germany's plan to limit Jewish immigration

 
Israel welcomes Germany's plan to limit Jewish immigration 
BERLIN, Jan. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Ambassador to Germany ShimonStein on Friday welcomed the German government's plan to limit Jewish immigration from the former Soviet Union.

    Israel holds there could not be any true Jewish refugees because Israel was the homeland of all Jews, German News Agency DPA quoted Stein as saying.

    The German government's move to restrict Jewish immigrants conforms to Israel's view, Stein said.

    Israel complained that Germany's virtually unrestricted Jewish immigration regulation has attracted many Jews to settle in Germany instead of Israel.

    The German government is seeking to draw up new rules over Jewish immigrants with Germany's 16 federal states and the country's Jewish groups.

    German Interior Minister Otto Schily earlier pledged to consultthe Central Council of Jews in Germany (CCJ), which opposes the change of the rules, in this regard.

    The interior ministry said some 190,000 Jews have settled in Germany from former Soviet Union since a regulation encouraging Jews in former Soviet Union to move to Germany took effect in 1991.

    The government is considering changing rules for Jewish immigrants as it has proven difficult to integrate some of the Jewish immigrants.