ArmInfo. Considering the situation faced by the Lebanese Armenians today, one can expect their mass migration to their historical homeland or to other countries. About a hundred refugees from Lebanon have already arrived in Armenia yesterday. A similar opinion was expressed to ArmInfo by Israeli public figure, political scientist Avigdor Eskin.
"The Armenian community was severely affected by the explosion: 15 Armenians were killed, about 300 were injured, the scale of material damage is colossal. Today, about 150 thousand Armenians still live in Lebanon. In times of peace, they were considered a thriving community of a prosperous Middle East country. However, for almost a year the country has experienced the hardest economic and political crisis. Armenians found themselves between Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, Maronite Christians and Druze. After the explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon turned out to be a single disaster zone – 80% of goods were delivered to Lebanon through a port that does not exist now. People are in danger of hunger, " Eskin outlined the situation.
Armenia, according to his estimates, is a vivid example of a national state. One of the initial tasks of which was to gather all the Armenians of the Diaspora in their newly independent country. However, in the first 30 years of independence, the flow from the Diaspora to their historical homeland was small. Meanwhile, the number of those who left Armenia is from one third to half of its citizens. In this context, the political scientist considers it appropriate to recall Israel, which for 72 years of independence, has multiplied the Jewish population twelve-fold.
The secret of Israel's success in repatriating Eskin is determined by the far from idealistic aspirations of most of the Israeli repatriates. The latter, as a rule, came to Israel in search of refuge from adversity or simply a better life. And hardly a large part of the same million repatriates who arrived over the past 30 years only from the former USSR countries did so at the 2000-year-old call of Zion. The massive immigration to Israel from Europe and Arab countries has also become a forced displacement rather than an act of idealism.
Eskin explains the secret of Israel's success in repatriating by the fact that aspirations of most of the Israeli repatriates were far from being idealistic. The latter, as a rule, came to Israel in search of refuge from adversity or simply a better life. And it is unlikely that the large part of those million repatriates who arrived over the past 30 years from the former USSR countries did that at call of Zion. The massive immigration to Israel from Europe and Arab countries has also become a forced displacement rather than an act of idealism.
"What useful conclusions can Armenia draw from this? The most important role in such cases is played by the country's readiness to receive refugees from the Diaspora and the ability to use the crisis situation for mass immigration. This should include an absorption program for new arrivals. In Israel, repatriates were assisted in purchasing housing, language learning, employment. Direct work with compatriots who are in distress or crisis is also an important factor. They should be provided with direct assistance on the spot and their transfer to their historical homeland should be ensured, "he said.
All this, according to Eskin, is extremely important, but secondary. Since everything is decided not by numbers, but by a qualitative, idealistic aspiration. And its consequence is an atmosphere of encouragement to return to the Motherland. In this light, he noted that 10 or 20 percent of the returnees were ardent Zionists. And they were ready to live in tents for years, drain swamps and irrigate the desert. And it was these people who created the atmosphere and brought others along with them. The policy of all Israeli governments to encourage Aliyah (return to the Land), according to the political scientist, was the result of this very powerful ideological wave.
"In any crisis in the Diaspora, the leaders of Israel urged their compatriots to return home. And their words were supported by the deeds of our special international agency" Sokhnut. "It is this ideological and idealistic surge and strengthening of national consciousness that Armenia lacks today. As soon as the government becomes the spokesman for the idea of return, any crisis will be its catalyst. But the lack of idealism, coupled with a crisis of governance, give rise to an outflow of the population from the country to the Diaspora. Now Armenia is facing a difficult test. It can facilitate the immigration of tens of thousands of Armenians from Lebanon or remain a passive witness to the immigration of tens of thousands of its own citizens due to economic crisis casued by quarantine. This is a harsh reality with which only true ideals can compete, "Eskin summed up.