Impact of Immigration on Jewish Population Growth in Israel from 1948 to 1951

From 1948 to 1951, immigration significantly increased the Jewish population in Israel, leaving a lasting impact on Israeli society. During this period, 700,000 Jews settled in Israel, with 300,000 arriving from Asian and North African nations as part of the Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries. The largest group among them, over 100,000, came from Iraq. The rest of the immigrants were from Europe, including more than 270,000 from Eastern Europe, mainly Romania and Poland. Nearly all the Jewish immigrants were refugees, with 136,000 displaced after World War II and living in displaced persons camps in Germany, Austria, and Italy. In 1950, the Knesset passed the Law of Return, granting all Jews and those of Jewish ancestry the right to settle in Israel and gain citizenship. That year, 50,000 Yemenite Jews were secretly flown to Israel, and in 1951, 120,000 Iraqi Jews moved to Israel. Jews also fled from Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Between 1948 and 1958, Israel's population rose from 800,000 to two million, leading to rationing of food, clothes, and furniture during the Austerity Period. Many immigrants were housed in temporary camps known as ma'abarot, with over 200,000 living in tents or prefabricated shacks by 1952. Israel received financial aid from private donations, mainly from the United States.