Diaspora Affairs Minister Chikli Defends Diaspora Jews Amid Criticism at Tel Aviv Conference
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli addressed the issue of Diaspora Jews being labeled as 'traitors' for not making aliyah, during an interview at the Tel Aviv Conference. The conference, titled 'Israel’s Future,' served as a platform for public debate and analysis on critical issues facing Israeli society. Chikli responded to a column by journalist Hagai Segal, which criticized American Jews for not immigrating to Israel. Chikli emphasized that such attacks do not benefit Israel and refrained from using threatening language. He highlighted the demographic shift, noting that Israel is becoming the largest center of world Jewry, with a significant increase in its Jewish population. Chikli also discussed the challenges facing Jewish communities in the West, including intermarriage and antisemitism, and the efforts to strengthen Jewish education among non-Orthodox streams. 
