A variety of reasons convinced Freoa to make the aliyah, as Jewish emigration is known. “There’s the weather and the cheaper cost of living in Israel. But every time there’s unrest in the Middle East, it has an effect in France.” Last July, when Israel’s war on Gaza spilled on to French streets, some protesters reportedly cried, “Death to Jews.” “When I went to buy cigarettes, I felt the tension with Muslims,” said Freoa.
He believes his two sons, aged 9 and 3, and two daughters, aged 7 and 6, are looking forward to the move to a beachside house in Agamin near Netanya. “We’ve told them it’s a kind of holiday.”
He and his wife have a sales business and he is confident that he can carry on in Israel. “With a computer and a phone, I’ll be fine – I can work anywhere,” he says. He played down the difficulties of moving to Israel: “We know what to expect. The Israelis are tough, they’re raw. It’s not easy. But the main thing is that our kids are OK.”
Freoa, a TV fan, added: “Aliyah has got much easier over the past 10 years. Now they’ve got French TV in Israel.”
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