Israel wants citizens abroad back home - Yahoo! News: "About 650,000 Israelis live abroad, 450,000 of them in North America, the ministry said. The ministry began contacting them last month with direct phone calls, an Internet site and a 'hot line' phone connection. 'What surprised us most is the amount of positive feedback we received from countries where the standard of living is very high,' said Erez Halfon, director of the Immigrant Absorption Ministry. 'We received 285 calls from Israelis living in Switzerland, and of them, 15 families have committed to coming home.' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed support for the project at a Cabinet meeting Sunday. 'Every Israeli, even if they live abroad, is Israeli at heart and knows that their home is here. I call on all Israelis to return home,' Olmert said. The project aims to bring 10,000 expatriates back to Israel in the first year and double that number over the next few years. Between 18,000 and 21,000 Israelis emigrate each year, Halfon told reporters."
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