To the West Bank: Europe's Jewish Exodus (Part 3)

In the wake of recent terror attacks in Europe — several of which targeted Jewish institutions — some politicians and religious leaders have predicted an exodus of Jewish people from the continent. In some ways, the numbers stack up. Last year, a record 8,000 Jews arrived in Israel from France — with another 15,000 coming from Eastern Europe.

But some critics argue that reports of Jewish flight are overblown; they accuse Israel of taking advantage of fears in Europe to attract new immigrants and serve the interests of the Israeli state. “We are preparing and calling for the absorption of mass immigration from Europe,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in February 2015. “I would like to tell all European Jews and all Jews wherever they are: Israel is the home of every Jew.”

In the last of a three-part series investigating these predictions of a mass Jewish migration, VICE News visits the West Bank. We meet a family of new French immigrants living in a controversial settlement near the border with Israel, and we sit down with the head of a regional council which is actively recruiting Europeans to move to those communities.

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[Hedwig]

he literally admitted a policy of ethnic cleansing wtf.

[αλμοχάντ]

They don't look like they're 3000 years old

[hanansh]

its ironic how the settler from France said he has as much right as a Palestinian to be here

[simonpantermuller]

The proof that European settler colonialism still exists.

[phil]

“Demography is everything”. Does that apply to other nations as well?

[ralphbernhard]

So I'll come with my gun and my holy book and my rich friends and simply settle down where I want....

[ICHBinCOOLERalsJeman]

"the talk of occupation is outdated, it is from the 90s"
thats because you have been illegaly occupying it since even before that, nothing of that makes it outdated

[tala]

So you’re telling me a person in France like come kick people out of their house and just live there and no one is coming to ask any questions

[zdakila]

How can the world watch as this is happening...

[MikeyD-xk]

I get German Nazi flashbacks when listening all of 'em. Religious war? Are they nuts?

[cosmicheathen]

I don't want to sound like anti-Semite but this really proves why they were kicked out of literally every country.

[edwardcrow]

The man interviewed last has an evil face and an evil smile. What amazed me the most was when he said "It could go much faster, Charlie Hebdo, it could happen one, two, or three times and then we have the kind of people who decide to move" That is a very alarming statement.

[robw]

"Israel isn't a European colonial project!"

Meanwhile, in the West Bank...

"Bonjour, je suis Israeli!"

[TrumanGN]

Strange that Israelis don't seem to wonder why one of the tiniest countries on earth requires one of the the most powerful militaries on earth, including nuclear weapons, to protect its citizens.

[gerri]

So glad vice put up these very informative series. Now that so many ppl have been made aware of the autrocities that have been going in Israel for decades, they are beginning to look around online to confirm their new acknowledgement of the palestinian problem in Israel. TY vice.

[walkervid]

5 years on and now really seeing the effects...

[shahnaseebb]

they carry weapons just like as if they're their school bags.

[merlinpendragon]

Now imagine if this was happening in anyother country. Kids joining armed forces

[eshamturgenev]

the akward moment when an israeli scholar says "the train of history is on it's way"

[elysianinfinity]

How is this Zionism any different to ‘radical muslims’? Surely Zionism by definition is ‘radical Judaism’? Why a Jewish state and not an Islamic state? I am neither Jewish nor Muslim but I have to say the Jewish attitude seems very hypocritical as is the idea Israel really wants peace. If Israel wanted peace it would not chose war. Saying opposition to the settlements are 90s phenomenon is laughable. They are against international and I’m fairly certain the average Arab west banker does not find it funny