French Jewish Immigrants Trade Fear for Freedom, Fulfill Biblical Prophecy in One Flight

BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel – Recently, nearly fifty Jewish immigrants from France made Aliyah to Israel. The unique flight served as an exodus from fear as well as a return to a promise thousands of years in the making. CBN News was there to witness their arrival at David Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

With hope in their hearts and Israel in their eyes, they arrived at the reception center. At age 17, Debbie Szasur wanted to make Alilyah, but her parents wanted her to finish school.

She tearfully told CBN News, "And then life, you know, you get married, you work. So, it was difficult."

Her tears tell a story of longing and, now, fulfillment.

"So happy, you cannot imagine. A lot of emotions. I've been waiting for this moment for 45 years. So, finally, I've made it," she said, apologizing for her tears.

Another new immigrant, Noa, traded fear for freedom.

She explained, "Because to live in France is very, very, very hard for us. Everything. Everyone's anti-Semitic.

She added, "Basically, you have phrases on the walls saying, 'Free Palestine, boycott Israel,' and I couldn't do this anymore. So, I came. Left everything in. I'm here, and it's great to be here."

It's a move both daunting and thrilling.

"Honestly, I'm anxious because I'm leaving everything behind," Noa said. "My family, my four siblings, everyone. I came alone, and I'm just 22, so I'm basically just a baby. but I am also very excited for what's to come."

We watched during the arrivals as the new immigrants were being processed, so by the time they leave the airport, they'll have their new Israeli identity cards. They're coming at a time of a dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents in France, especially after October 7th, 2023.

Sam Grundwerg, world chairman of the Keren Hayesod organization, told us, "(It's a) difficult situation in terms of anti-Semitism right now, just in recent events, in the last days. Last few days alone, there have been alarming incidents. A rabbi was walking with his nine-year-old son coming from synagogue (and) was beaten up. And, you know, I spoke to some of the officials there this morning, and they said to me, you know, what was especially upsetting about this incident is that the perpetrator who beat up this Jew, he didn't even run away."

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.*** 

The immigrants' flight from France was made possible by Pastor Larry Huch, founder of Larry Huch Ministries.

"Here's people in Paris, which is most people's bucket list – to go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower and to see Notre Dame – and here's people saying, we want to get our families out of Paris, out of France, and come to a nation that has war around them on six, arguably seven sides. And yet they feel safer coming to Israel than staying in France. That's a that's a sad thing that we need to stand up with as Christians, with our Jewish brothers and sisters and change that."

France has the second largest Jewish population outside of the U.S. For many, life became a daily act of courage.

Szasur told us, "My children wanted me to, after the 7th of October, to take my mezuzah out of the door (because it would identify her as a Jew). And I said, no way. I'm a Jew, and I'll keep the mezuzah."

For Pastor Huch, helping the new Israelis return wasn't charity – it was covenant.

"It feels like it's my family. It feels like I have a relationship," he stated. "I saw them in France, at the synagogue, saw them get on the plane, hugged them when they're coming out of the plane, hugged them when they came in, and it moved me more than I thought it would."

Huch observed, "But the exciting thing for us is that the Bible says that we as Gentiles will not only welcome them back, but will bring them in our arms and on our shoulders to fulfill Bible prophecy. So, it's a double Bible prophecy. It's Jews returning to the Promised Land that God gave to Abraham 3,700 years ago, and Gentiles, Christians, instead of pushing them out of the land, we're bringing them back."

Today, the subjects of that prophecy have a boarding pass, a luggage tag, and an identity card. 

"They're coming, yes, for a better life. They're coming for a safer life and education for children, but they're coming home. Every one of them said, we're going home," Huch noted.

Speaking French, another immigrant, Aurelia, explained, "Because it is the land of my parents, of my ancestors. And there it is – it's like the shofar's call. It's a calling within us. So there you go; I want to bring up my children in Israel. To live surrounded by my brothers and sisters, to live as a free Jew.

Shalom, also speaking French, declared, "Because it's a call we have inside of us.  A calling.  A calling that is inside us.  It resonates as a desire to return to our land. To return to our country.  Since we now have Israel, it is our place, as Jews, to be in Israel – and we are going to contribute to achieving this completeness so that Mashiach (Messiah) arrives and we are all delivered and there is only good in the world and no more evil in the world."

Grundwerg delivered a message to Christians.

He said, "We don't take for granted our evangelical Christian brothers and sisters who stand with us, with the people of Israel, shoulder to shoulder. We have shared Judeo-Christian values  I send blessings from Jerusalem for the support for the friendship, for the moral courage to stand with Israel. You know, true friends are tested. when standing with their friends during the difficult times. And these have been difficult times.  And so we're, we're thrilled to partner with our evangelical Christian brothers and sisters, and we thank them." 

We followed Debbie Szasur to see her sons who made aliyah themselves years ago. Then came the moment she had been dreaming of for 45 years as they hugged and reunited at the airport arrivals area.

Her son Raphael exclaimed, "Amazing! We're waiting for this for years and now it's happening. Congratulations! Mazel Tov! We're really happy to see her."