Due to the growing dangers facing the Jews of Morocco and Tunisia, the Israeli government is making plans to bring these communities to Israel, Maariv reported today. Last month a gas-laden truck exploded outside the ancient Jewish synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia, killing 19 people, and investigators believe terrorists connected to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaida terrorist network perpetrated the attack.

There are some 3,000 Jews living today in Morocco, and another 2,000 Jews live in Tunisia. Senior diplomatic sources told Maariv that the government is preparing a "special emergency action" to help these Jews make Aliyah and move to Israel. "Special arrangements" are being made, in light of the growing distress these Jews face in their homelands, the sources said.

Deputy Minister of Immigrant Absorption Yuli Edelstein (Yisrael Ba'aliya) told Army Radio today that no "secret" airlifts were being planned to bring the remaining North African Jewish communities to Israel. Even so, due to the distress Jews face in Morocco and Tunisia, Edelstein warmly recommended that they pack their bags and move to Israel.

Two weeks ago, Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) called on French Jews to "start packing their bags" and move to Israel. Yishai's call for increased Aliyah from France came following the surprising second-place showing of ultra-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in the presidential qualifying round in France, and after a rise of anti-Semitic attacks on French Jewish targets. According to the Jewish Agency, a growing number of French Jews have shown signs of desiring to immigrate to Israel.

Economic instability in Argentina led to a wave of new immigrants to Israel from that country. The total number of immigrants who have arrived in Israel so far this year from Argentina is 1446, the Jewish Agency said.

While the Maariv report did not provide details as to what kind of "special arrangements" were being prepared to help Moroccan and Tunisian Jewry, it may be assumed that they referred to a potential airlift of new immigrants to Israel similar to previous operations in Israel's history.

In May 1949, Israeli transport planes flew 45,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet. In 1951, an airlift entitled Operation Ezra and Nehemiah brought some 121,000 Jews to Israel from Iraq. In 1984, a 45-day airlift dubbed Operation Moses brought 8,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. It was followed in May 1991 by Operation Solomon, when Israel airlifted the remaining 14,200 Jews out of Ethiopia.

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