650 FRENCH IMMIGRANTS ARRIVE IN ISRAEL

Hundreds of French Jews arrive in Israel (JTA)
Some 650 immigrants from France are expected to land Tuesday in Israel. Some of the immigrants will be moving to northern Israel, which has been the scene of daily barrages from Hezbollah rockets in Lebanon. The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Ami association are behind the trip by the immigrants, some of an estimated 3,500 expected to make aliyah from France this year.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert greeted the new immigrants, saying: "Our enemy has been sending missiles and sometimes they do hit and they do do damage. But the missiles they fire at us don´t match the secret weapon we have — the nation of Israel, those who come like you, the deep commitment among the Jewish people, the deep love from the Jewish people from every place of the world. We are a strong nation and we have the stamina needed even for long struggles."