The Israelis Helping Ukrainian Jews Flee the Country

In the wake of recent terror attacks in Europe — several of which targeted Jewish institutions — some politicians and religious leaders have predicted an exodus of Jewish people from the continent. In some ways, the numbers stack up. Last year, a record 8,000 Jews arrived in Israel from France — with another 15,000 coming from eastern Europe.

But some critics argue that reports of Jewish flight are overblown; they accuse Israel of taking advantage of fears in Europe to attract new immigrants and serve the interests of the Israeli state. "We are preparing and calling for the absorption of mass immigration from Europe," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in February 2015. "I would like to tell all European Jews and all Jews wherever they are: Israel is the home of every Jew."

In this excerpt from 'Europe's Jewish Exodus,' VICE News travels to eastern Ukraine, where increasing numbers of Jewish people are packing their bags, leaving their war-torn homes, and preparing to move to Israel. We meet with representatives from the Jewish Agency for Israel, a quasi-governmental organization based in Jerusalem that is helping to coordinate this movement of people.

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