Israel reshapes aliyah services for a younger, more digital generation

Israel is changing the way it absorbs new immigrants as a younger and increasingly diverse generation of olim arrives with different expectations about government services, employment and community life, Aliyah and Integration Ministry Director-General Deganit Sankar-Lange said during ynet Global’s Aliyah Live Summit. Rather than expecting new immigrants to navigate a largely uniform bureaucratic system after landing, Sankar-Lange said the ministry is increasingly trying to meet them before they arrive and tailor support to their individual circumstances. “The way we serve olim is different today,” she said. “Many of them are young people who know technology, so we use a variety of service channels — the internet, WhatsApp and others.” The shift, she said, reflects a broader change in the population considering aliyah, particularly from Western countries including the United States, Britain, France, Australia and South Africa.