French youngsters considering Aliyah

By Miri Chason From Ynet

TEL AVIV - About 50 percent of French youngsters say they have experienced anti-Semitism in the past five years, and a third say they are interested in moving to Israel soon, according to a survey released Thursday.

The poll, undertaken by Eric Cohen from Bar Ilan University, also shows 75 percent of French teenagers believe their future is not in France.

About 125,000 French Jews visited Israel in 2004, the survey found.

More than half of adult poll respondents, meanwhile, said their children attend Jewish schools. About 75 percent said they would want to be reborn as Israeli Jews, given the chance.

Security situation not a determining factor:

According to a sample of 2,000 tourists, half believe they would move to Israel in the next five years. About 28 percent estimated they would remain in France, but 70 percent said they wanted their children to study in Israel.

About 2,400 French Jews moved to Israel in 2004, mostly because of anti-Semitism in France. The two biggest obstacles faced by French immigrants are the economic situation in Israel and family considerations.

The survey also found that security considerations are not a determining factor in the decision to make Aliyah to Israel.