Netanyahu congratulated Russian-speaking Israelis on New Year in Russian

Photo credit: REUTERS / Amir Cohen

The head of the Israeli government Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the Russian-speaking residents of the country on New Year in Russian. According to him, repatriates from the former USSR changed the face of Israel, TASS reports. The prime minister is confident that immigrants from the republics of the Soviet Union play a key role in many sectors. They make a huge contribution to the development of the country. They are turning Israel into a world power, Netanyahu emphasized.

He noted that the Israeli authorities were strengthening contacts in all areas with the countries of the former Soviet Union. Netanyahu himself constantly communicates with Russian president Vladimir Putin on topics important to Israeli security, the prime minister summed up.

The tradition of celebrating the New Year's holidays on January 1 emerged in Israel only in the last 25 years, when many immigrants from the Soviet Union came to the country. At the state level, January 1 is not a public holiday. Israelis can take a day off but one day will be deducted from their vacations.

In Israel, the New Year is celebrated on the Jewish calendar in the fall - on the 1st and 2nd day of the month of Tishrei. The year 5780 began on September 29, 2019, according to the Jewish calendar. It is believed that this holiday, called in Hebrew Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year), is celebrated on the anniversary of the sixth day of the creation of the world, when God created man.

Russkiy Mir