100 Australian doctors prepare to immigrate to Israel
Participants at an aliya fair in Melbourne, Australia which included a focus on medical professionals. October 26, 2025 (Photo credit: Scott Ehler).
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
MELBOURNE, Australia (Oct. 26, 2025 / JNS)
Over one hundred Australian doctors were gathering this week in both Melbourne and Sydney as part of a major immigration fair for medical professionals planning on moving to Israel following the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The event comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitism around the world following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. In Australia, currently ruled by a strongly anti-Israel government, a synagogue and a Jewish daycare center were firebombed and Jewish-owned properties and cars have been vandalized
The attacks have shaken the 110,000-strong Jewish community in Australia, which is strongly Zionist, in no small part because Australia long served as the second largest refuge for Holocaust survivors after Israel
“The reality is that if you would have run this conference before Oct. 7 you would have at 10% of what you have now,” said Dr. Jack Cohen, 50, a GP who relocated to Australia from the United Kingdom over two decades ago and who now intends to move to Israel with his four children. “There has always been a strong pull factor to Israel, but now there is a very strong push factor that didn’t used to exist,” he added.
“Oct. 7 cemented and reinforced why we want to come to Israel,” said Dr. Daniel Diamond, 33, an Australian GP who married an American-Israeli he had met in Israel three years ago when taking some time off, afterwards returning to Australia to finish his medical training. “The comfort level of life here went away after Oct. 7,” he said.
The MedEx event, which seeks to address Israel’s critical shortage of physicians, was organized by the nonprofit Nefesh B’Nefesh in partnership with Israel’s ministries of aliyah and integration, health, and the Negev and Galilee, along with the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency for Israel.
“You can feel the vibrant and Zionist community in the air,” Aliya and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer told JNS Sunday at the fair in Melbourne. “I came to strengthen, and I came away strengthened.”
Nearly 200 Australians immigrated to Israel last year, according to Aliya and Integration Ministry figures.
The program, which went global two years ago, focuses on recruiting medical professionals and aims to bring 2,000 doctors to Israel from around the world over five years, said Ronen Fuxman, director of the program.
Last year, some 520 doctors came to Israel from around the world through the program, primarily from Russia, Ukraine, the United States, Canada and France.
The 100 medical professionals attending the inaugural Australian event this week specialize in 22 fields of medicine and are being recruited by some 16 medical institutions in Israel.
“We were always planning to make aliyah to Israel—it was always the pull,” said Dr. Michal Bloch, a 35-year-old Australian general pediatrician who is planning the move with her husband and four kids.
Bloch, who already did a rotation in the emergency room at Jerusalem’s Sha’are Zedek Medical Center when in medical school and worked at Magen David Adom, praised the streamlined process offered by the program, and is following in the footsteps of her doctor sister who moved to Israel eight years ago.
“The physicians we met in Australia are not only exceptional professionals but also deeply motivated by a sense of purpose and connection to Israel,” said Tony Gelbart, co-founder and chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “Their contributions will make a meaningful difference to healthcare in Israel.”
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Over one hundred Australian doctors were gathering this week in both Melbourne and Sydney as part of a major immigration fair for medical professionals planning on moving to Israel following the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The event comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitism around the world following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. In Australia, currently ruled by a strongly anti-Israel government, a synagogue and a Jewish daycare center were firebombed and Jewish-owned properties and cars have been vandalized.
Australia's loss will be Israel's gain. If Australia starts to suffer a need for doctors, blame the antisemites in its government and among its people.
Islamophobia is here as well as anti-Semitism...the same as any other country...
We treat everyone equal..so no one should feel privileged in feeling victimised..
Years ago it was the Greeks and Italians that copped it, then the Vietnamese, then Afghans, now it's the Indians and Chinese and somewhere in the mix is Muslims and Jews..so it's nothing new...
Don't care who comes to this country but number 1, don't bring your troubles here from your old home lands..be it ethnic, bloody religion or anything else..
If you miss it so much or love it so much, why did you leave it in the first place?
If you're not a descendant from the natives who were in Australia from the time of Captain Cook, you're an immigrant or a descendant of one. According to the article a lot of Jews have been in Australia since World War 2 so when does one become an UNWANTED immigrant because they or their ancestors left their previous home in the first place?
Over time, Jews were a convenient scapegoat for many totalitarian leaders.
In several cases the sudden expulsion of a country’s Jews actually had a significant negative effect on the country.
And often the negative impact was in an area other than doctors— often it was a “brain drain” of scientists . . . or brilliant “computer technicians”.
Simple really.. because Jews and Muslims have always been hated for no other reason than their religion..it is the same all over the world..and when you look back it is since time began...
Don't have a problem with either religion and it is not until generations pass that it seems to fade to a certain extent..
In my mothers generation here 1930s and 40s Catholics and Protestants hated each other's guts because of the huge English and Irish migration..hell if one married another "colour" as they called there was hell to pay.. families disowned them etc and they were turned on..
Now no one gives a flying fig and 3 of my cousin's all married the "wrong colour" and are very happy and have raised their families..and we are only 2nd generation..and none of us are religious..our parents have died out and their religious bigotry went with it...
Each generation doesn't seem to care about religion as the churches are now empty and many are sold off..and in some respects that is not a bad thing..
I think you will find the vast majority of Jews here are very happy here, busy doing their own thing and getting on with life..just the same as Muslims and anyone else..the main reason the Jews came here was to get as far away from Europe as possible and I don't blame them..
Are we perfect no, do we have demonstrations, yes because we can, do we have religious zealots on all sides bloody oath..are they a pain in the arse, yep..and yes they are the ones that are unwanted here...
If only John Lennon's words could come true...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Occasionally some are violent....
The attacks have shaken the 110,000-strong Jewish community in Australia, which is strongly Zionist, in no small part because Australia long served as the second largest refuge for Holocaust survivors after Israel.
“The reality is that if you would have run this conference before Oct. 7 you would have at 10% of what you have now,” said Dr. Jack Cohen, 50, a GP who relocated to Australia from the United Kingdom over two decades ago and who now intends to move to Israel with his four children. “There has always been a strong pull factor to Israel, but now there is a very strong push factor that didn’t used to exist,” he added.
“The comfort level of life here went away after Oct. 7,” he said.
With the increase of antisemitism around the world, Israel is the one country in the world where Jews can escape to and be welcomed.
Yes over time Israel was one of the safest places for Jews. ( Although despite some of the “Free Palestine” antisemitic demonstrations, the U.S. is still one of the safer places for Jews).
Last year, some 520 doctors came to Israel from around the world through the program, primarily from Russia, Ukraine, the United States, Canada and France.
The 100 medical professionals attending the inaugural Australian event this week specialize in 22 fields of medicine and are being recruited by some 16 medical institutions in Israel.
Many nations are losing doctors - Israel is gaining them. They may be escaping from antisemitism in their native country but they would be facing Palestinian terrorism in Israel. There is no place in the world safe for a Jew.
Evening..we don't discriminate..we also fire bomb mosques as well...😁
Considering there are 300,000 ultra orthodox living in Israel displaying the Palestinian flag everywhere, well good luck with their migration and hope it works out for them..
As they say..beware the enemy within..
JERUSALEM – Dozens of Palestinian flags are painted up and down the ancient walls. The red, green, black and white colors of the flag adorn the outsides of buildings, walls and doors. But this is not the West Bank or Gaza. These flags are painted in the heart of Jerusalem, in one of the most ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in all of Israel.
Doesn't seem to be something to be proud of.
Didn't say I was..
Just pointing out the mere fact that it is not all anti semite here and nothing else...
We have the same clashes as any other country..we have Nazis, KKK and another nut jobs that happen to be running around...
But is it that they were painted by Orthodox Jews because its in an Orthodox neighbourhood? Isn't it possible that Arab extrmeists painted some of them ?
I really don't know...
Almost 20% of Israeli citizens are Muslim.
Israel's current government is "Right-wing". But here's a fact that people unfamilar with the history don't realize: when the ancient country was re-established (1948) the founders were on the opposite end of the political spectrum than the current gov't-- they ranged from moderate Socialists to extreme far leftists. (Some were even democratic Communists which is very rare because Communists by their very nature are anti-democratic).
Evening Krishy...no Arab extremists don't paint them..the ultra Orthodox do..
They hate the Israeli government because they are now forcing the ultra Orthodox into the army which they greatly resent..when asked why there are Palestinian flags everywhere their comment is "oh it's just kids doing graffiti" and try and brush it off..or just simply don't answer...
They display Palestinian flags and anti-occupation slogans to express their opposition to Israel's government and its policies toward Palestinians.
The other major concern with the ultra Orthodox having such large families etc in years to come they could end getting into power in the Knesset...and if that happens they will want bring in the equivalent of Sharia law..
The ordinary Israeli dislike the ultras immensely and I must admit I wasn't not particularly fond of the ultras either when I was there...I found them to be rude, arrogant and quite obnoxious especially the men...
So in the coming years it will be very interesting to see what happens in Israel...
I'm pretty sure everyone here knows by now how much I support Israel, and why I do. I've also made it clear about how much I despise the ultra-Orthodox, as I've said, even for personal reasons. There are a great many people in New York City who are ultra-Orthodox, and I bet they support the Muslim mayoral candidate, because they hate Israel. The Muslim candidate is going to win, because of them.
It took a while for Israelis to realize that they had escaped from one holocaust to experience yet another by those whose desire is indicated by the words "From the river to the sea", accentuated by bus bombs, blown up pizza parlours, bombing of a Passover celebration, stabbings on the streets, and with a more extreme example of Oct 7, etc etc etc Those are the kinds of things that lead a nation to turn to the right.