NBN is a good thing

A recent libelous article in Haaretz blasted NBN giving spewing false facts and half truths. Obviously, a non-profit, idealistic agency is better for aliyah then anything the government can provide.

The Jewish Agency was so unsuccessful in bringing Jews from the US to Israel before NBN came along. My experience with the Jewish Agency rep in Chicago went like this:
Me: "Hi, I'd like to make aliyah"
JA rep: "No you don't. It's much better living in the states."
Me: "No, I really want to."
JA rep: "You're making a big mistake. I'm living here for a reason."

We came in the 2nd year of NBN, before they had worked out all the kinks. When I described my NBN aliyah process to olim who moved before NBN existed they were shocked. No bureaucracy? No standing in endless lines? No shuttling from office to office without actually getting any answers? We didn't deal with any of that. We filled out paperwork on the airplane, got sal kilta at the airport which was waiting for us in an envelope with our names on it and came to Jerusalem 3 days later to get our teudat zehut, identity cards.

Governmental agencies in Israel are absolute hell. The people who work for them generally are not idealistic and trying to help people, they just have a job that they have to do. We bought a car with aliyah rights and it has a limitation on it for 5 years before I can sell it on the market. Instead of the limitation automatically coming off after 5 years, I had to go through hell trying to get it off 8 years later. Calling the department 5 times, getting different answers from different people.

 It could be that NBN can be streamlined more, but replacing it with a governmental agency is so wrong it sounds Obamaesque.