Some of the most important stories in Israel are unfolding away from the battlefield. They begin on airport tarmacs, in departure lounges, and aboard flights carrying families who have decided that, against all odds, there is no other place where they would rather build their future.
Every act of aliyah is an act of hope. During times of war and uncertainty, it is also an act of extraordinary courage.
This week, I boarded a flight from Paris to Israel. I accompanied 34 families, including 80 children, from an airport in France through boarding and all the way to their arrival.
On board were 11 infants taking their very first steps in life, but even the oldest passengers were beginning anew. Now, they are all among the more than 6,500 people who have immigrated to Israel from France since October 7.
This move seems almost irrational. At a time when Israel is confronting so many fronts, security challenges, and tensions from within and beyond its borders, there are people who choose to leave behind the lives they have built and begin again, specifically in Israel.
