330 new immigrants arrive from France Wave of Western aliya continues; many cite French anti-Semitism as part of decision, but statistics show attacks down By Miri Chason http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3117904,00.html BEN GURION AIRPORT - Some 330 new immigrants from France arrived in Israel Monday, the latest group in a wave of immigration from Western countries to make aliya this summer. Aliya wave Some new Israelis said they decided to make aliya because of rising anti-Semitism in France, but the new immigrants arrived in Israel to some encouraging news from the old country: Anti-Semitic attacks in France dropped by 48 percent in the first half of 2005. The newcomers were greeted by representatives of the ministry of absorption, the Jewish Agency, and “Ami,” an organization that encourages and supports French aliya. Corinne and Patrick Ben-Hayoun decided to immigrate with their two children because of the treatment they received as Jews but said their son really pushed to make aliya. “A year ago, we came for a visit, and my 16-year-old son Benny refused to return to France,” said Corinne. “We told him to come home with us for a year and let us make plans, so we could come back properly. And that’s just what we did.” Degrading treatment Corinne lays out another reason the family moved to Israel: “My husband was a taxi driver, and the way he was treated was simply degrading. After every terrorist attack in Israel, people would blame him for what Israel is doing to the Palestinians. “Once, Sharon said on TV that all French Jews should move to Israel, and the next day a work colleague asked when he was leaving France for Israel. “There’s a lot of anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism in France,” she said. “At work, they told my husband Israel doesn’t belong to Jews. We know it will be hard here, but we’ll get by.”