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Yerida Is An
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The emigration of Jews from Is-
rael is known in Hebrew as yeri-
da. Improvement in the
economic situation has not only
served to arrest the process but
has also contributed to the re-
turn from abroad of large num-
bers of Israelis who find
excellent employment opportu-
nities in Israel.
But yerida is now a problem
of increasing concern to the
Palestinian National Authority.
In recent months, a number of
foreign embassies approved sev-
eral thousand immigration ap-
plications by West Bank and
Gaza Palestinians.
Young Palestinians in Gaza
and the West Bank, particular-
ly those with some education,
have become increasingly dis-
couraged by the bad economic
situation. Unemployment in
Gaza is about 60 percent, with
little indication of any improve-
ment in the offing even with the
lifting of Israeli closures. Funds
promised by some of the great
powers have been slow in corn-
ing. Educational opportunities
are limited, with the sciences low
on the list. Those who blame Is-
rael ignore the fact that during
the many years of Jordanian
rule, opening of universities was
banned altogether and it was
only following Israeli occupation
that the half dozen or so insti-
tutions of higher learning were
permitted.
Attendance at the Arab uni-
versities has also been fre-
quently interrupted by Israeli
road blockades and border clos-
ings. While these have been
caused by Arab terrorist actions,
the fact remains that their
young people were the indirect
victims. For any, a college degree
is almost equivalent to a one-
way ticket out of the country be-
cause their countries of choice
give preference to educated im-
migrants.
Officials of the Palestinian Na-
tional Authority prefer to take a
more optimistic view of the brain
drain, viewing it as temporary.
They recall that prior to the Gulf
War thousands of young Pales-
tinians worked in Kuwait, send-
ing a good part of their wages
back home to their families and,
thereby contributing also to the
economy of the territories.
Only dictatorial states forbid
emigration, it was noted. At the
same time, the director general
of the political department of the
PNA stated that "if emigration
continues at the present rate,
the backbone of our culture will
be irrevocably weakened." ❑