Israelis in the United Kingdom or Israeli Britons are citizens or residents of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

who were originally from

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

or are of Israeli descent.

Demographics

In 2001 Israel was the 68th most common birthplace for British residents; some 11,892 people born in Israel lived in the UK. It is unknown how many people born in the UK are of Israeli descent, as this was not listed as a separate ethnic group in the 2001 Census. The majority of Israelis in the UK live in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and, in particular, the densely populated Jewish area of

Golders Green Golders Green is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, northwest of Charing Cross. It began as a medieval small suburban linear settlement near a farm and public grazing area green, and dates to the early 19th century. It ...

. The vast majority of Israeli Britons are

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

. The most common languages amongst the Israeli British community are

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

and

British English British English is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to ...

Contemporary issues

Some Israeli-Jewish expatriates in Europe complain that they feel excluded from the rest of the Jewish community. Only 2% of expats in Britain and France who responded to a 2008 survey said that they feel part of the local Jewish community. Despite many Israelis claiming not to feel connected to other Jewish groups in the country, around 33% of those interviewed said they felt more attached to their Jewish identity rather than their Israeli identity, with 11% saying they identified less as Jews. A survey by JTA reported that the Israeli community in the UK had little involvement in the local Jewish community, though Israeli expats often chose to live in predominantly Jewish areas. Israelis in the UK often complain of being discouraged by the perceived "frosty" attitude of British Jews towards them, but at the same time many Israelis in Britain are indifferent to the local Jewish community and reluctant to become part of it.

Media

'' Alondon'' is London's main

Hebrew-language Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until ...

magazine that caters primarily to the British Israeli community.

Notable people

One of the most notable British people of Israeli descent is

Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen ( ; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor and performance artist. Known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haf ...

, an English comedian and actor whose mother came from Israel. Others include English magician

Uri Geller Uri Geller ( ; ; born 20 December 1946) is an Israeli-British illusionist, magician, television personality, and self-proclaimed psychic. He is known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other illusions. Geller use ...

and Scottish professional wrestler

Noam Dar Noam Dar (; born 28 July 1993) is an Israeli and Scottish professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE where he perfroms on the NXT brand and is the current NXT Heritage Cup champion in his record-setting fourth reign. He is also known for his ti ...

, both of whom were born in Israel and later moved to the UK. In 2008, six Israelis were counted amongst the top 50 richest people in the UK, according to the ''Sunday Times'' Rich Listequal to the number of people born in the UK who made the top 50. They include Lev Leviev, Benny Steinmetz, and brothers Eddie and Saul Zakai.

References

External links