After the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, Jewish immigration to Israel continued to be a significant factor in the country's history
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- Mass immigration: The years between 1948 and 1951 witnessed the largest migration ever to reach the shores of modern Israel, with approximately 688,000 immigrants coming to Israel during the country’s first three and a half years at an average of close to 200,000 a year. This mass immigration was a result of the war between Israel and the Arab states in 1948, which led to the displacement of many Jews living in Arab countries.2
- Immigration from the former Soviet Union: Winter 1989 marked a turning point, reversing the declining Jewish flows witnessed during the prior decade. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, massive numbers of Jews began leaving the Soviet republics to settle in Israel. Israel took in nearly 1.1 million immigrants from the former Soviet Union between 1990 and 2018 (about 400,000 of whom arrived between 1990 and 1991) .1
- Changes in immigration policies: Israel's immigration policies have changed over time, with the country embracing immigration of Jewish diaspora while sharply restricting labor migrants and asylum seekers.1
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