The “Israel in Arabic” accounts on Facebook and X published pictures on Tuesday, December 12 claiming that these images depict the arrival of over 2,000 Jewish people in Israel within two months since the Palestinian resistance launched the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.
The accounts claimed that some of those individuals “are new incomers from Arab and Muslim countries," and added that “sources at the Immigration and Integration Ministry say that this number exceeds the average of new incomers to the country, which rises regularly every year."
Citing the Immigration Ministry, the account highlighted that "many new arrivals are expressing their willingness to volunteer and serve in the Israeli army or civil service."
Old Photos Presented as Those of Incomers During the Current War
Misbar analyzed the pictures published by “Israel in Arabic” and found that all of them are old photos taken and published before the resistance initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.
The Israeli media published the first photo on August 16, 2023, claiming it showed the arrival of 215 new immigrants from North American countries to Israel on a flight that landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at the time.
Israeli media also published the second and third photos in August 2022, asserting that they showed a group of 225 new immigrants from North America upon their arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Several Israelis Apply for Asylum in Portugal
The claim from “Israel in Arabic” came as Israeli Channel 12 reported on Tuesday that many Israelis had applied for asylum in Portugal amidst the war following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.
The channel reported that these Israelis took advantage of Portugal’s announcement, which allows them to obtain asylum visas with just an Israeli passport, enabling them to legally reside and work in Portugal.
The report also explained that in the wake of the current war on the Gaza Strip and Portugal’s announcement that it would allow Israelis to submit asylum applications and issue refugee visas, many Israelis decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
According to the same source, Lisbon's new regulations state that Israeli citizens only require a valid Israeli passport. Asylum requests for Israelis are approved within one day, granting permission to stay in Portugal for several months, work legally, and even access government support. The report highlighted that these facilitations by Portuguese authorities mirror the assistance extended to Ukrainian refugees welcomed since the outbreak of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow.
Thousands of Israelis Left the Country Since October 7
Data issued by the Population and Immigration Authority revealed that nearly 370,000 Israelis have left the country since October 7, with uncertainty regarding their eventual return.
Citing the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority, The Times of Israel reported that approximately 370,000 Israelis departed during the war: 230,309 from the war's onset until the end of October and 139,839 in November.
The newspaper added in its report, published on December 4, that about 302,000 Israelis arrived in the country in October and 194,000 in November, totaling about half a million arrivals.
The newspaper explained, stating that "the number of arrivals seems much higher than the number of departures, but in reality, most of the arrivals were Israeli travelers returning to the country from vacation."
It further explained that "if you add up the number of Israelis who traveled abroad during the holidays and stayed there until October 7 (about 600,000), and the number of Israelis who left the country during the war (about 370,000), the number of travelers is approximately 970,000." “If we deduct the number of Israelis who entered Israel during the war (about half a million), it turns out that the number of Israelis who left and did not return exceeds the number of those who returned by approximately 470,000,” according to the newspaper.
“There is thus a negative immigration of around half a million people, and this does not include foreign workers, refugees and diplomats who left the country," The Times of Israel added.
Immigration to Israel Has Decreased During the War
The report indicates that the war did not stop immigration to Israel but significantly reduced it. According to data provided by the Ministry of Integration to The Times of Israel, approximately 2,000 Jews immigrated to Israel between October 7 and November 29. This accounts for an average of about a thousand migrants per month, marking a decrease of more than 70% compared to the average of approximately 4,500 migrants per month from the beginning of 2023 until the war began. This decline exemplifies a significant reduction in immigration.
The Times of Israel highlights in its report that the news regarding the return of hundreds of thousands to Israel since the war's outbreak was incorrectly interpreted and published in various media outlets as “a dramatic wave of immigration and return to Israel,” and that this is fake news, because such reports ignored the fact that most of those entering the country had returned from vacation, in addition to the presence of hundreds of thousands of Israelis who did not return from abroad and left the country during the war.
The Ongoing Israeli Aggression on Gaza
For the 68th consecutive day, the Israeli army persists in its devastating war on the Gaza Strip. Israel has committed new massacres in the recent hours by bombing the Abu Hussein School, affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The school serves as shelter for displaced persons in the Jabalia camp located in northern Gaza.
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