Former Soviet Union immigrants attend a rally. (photo credit: ELIANA APONTE/REUTERS)
Israel is not doing enough to take full advantage of the capabilities and talents of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer said on Friday.
“Israel failed in the 1970s, failed in the 1980s, failed in this in the 1990s and continues to fail at this even today,” he said in an interview with journalist Elena Lagutina at the Limmud FSU 2017 conference in Eilat.
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According to Singer, part of the absorption failure stems from the fact that the state has not set sufficient “challenges” that would entice them to remain in the country.
"We need to invest more in education and in setting up challenges, so that all the people who have come here in numbers and can find themselves anywhere in the world, remain in Israel," he said.
Singer, who made aliyah to Israel from the Ukraine in 1972, also called on Russian immigrants to take a more active role in politics.
"One of the mistakes of my generation was that we did not want political influence," he said. "In retrospect, this immigration brought a lot of talented people... who were busy surviving. I want to say that active participation in civil and political life in Israel is critical."
He further stressed the importance of education, stating that it is "the future of the Jewish people."
Regarding service in the IDF, Singer who served as a Lieutenant Colonel also commented on the investment in education versus the investment in the IDF and said: "I think that the IDF has outstanding commanders and I think that this is the best education."
According to a study published last week by the Central Bureau of Statistics, since 1990 some 3.2 million immigrants made aliyah. The vast majority, some 77% came from the former Soviet Union.