Public Housing in Israel

Abstract

Immigration, combined with the other realities of Israel, is far more than a simple demographic or economic factor. Under the Law of Return, the first basic law passed in Israel after independence, every Jew is free to emigrate to Israel, to return to the land of his forefathers. Expansion of populated areas is closely connected with immigration. The great majority of the Jewish population, prior to independence, was concentrated, with the exception of Jerusalem, in the narrow coastal strip, due to the restrictions to which Jewish population in Palestine was subjected during the period of the British Mandate which preceded Israel’s statehood. The economy came first but even with modest initial development schemes, it was able to provide jobs for a major part of the newcomers. However, some of the camp dwellers were remnants of the Nazi holocaust, while others were immigrants from some of the most backward countries.