ENFORCED DEPARTURES, ANXIOUS ARRIVALS: A Turkish Diaspora in Israel

Abstract

Drawing immigration was one of the main objectives of the newborn State of Israel, and this policy generated a strong pull factor for Jews worldwide. However, the mass emigration from Turkey was a surprise even to Israeli authorities who were not expecting such large numbers from a country where Jews were not expelled from or faced an existential threat. Nearly 40 per cent of Turkey’s Jewish community emigrated to Israel during 1948–1951. This mass migration was Turkey’s second-biggest emigration wave following labour emigration to Europe from the 1960s onwards. Despite its significance, Turkish Jewry is an understudied topic, especially in Turkish migration and diaspora studies. This chapter scrutinises the trajectory and current state of the Turkish Jewish diaspora in Israel. It presents an overview of the subject matter, including the historical background of Turkish Jews, their reasons for emigration, and how they have reconstructed their identity in Israel. © 2024 Taylor & Francis.