Members of the Nefesh B'Nefesh aliyah flight on the runway at Ben Gurion airport Aug. 14. Photo: Nefesh B'Nefesh.

Some 350 immigrants from North America arrived in Israel on Tuesday morning on a Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight, and were greeted at Ben-Gurion Airport by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Hayom reported.

“Welcome to Israel, welcome home,” Netanyahu said in remarks at a welcoming ceremony. “I was given a list of all the places you come from. You come from California, from New Jersey, from Ohio, from over two dozen states across America. And I understand you also come from Alberta and Quebec. But the truth is you all come from one place — Israel.”

“This is the land where we all come from,” Netanyahu continued. “This is the land where our ancestors lived and this is the place where our identity as a people was forged. This is the country where the Jewish people are building the Jewish future. Each of the 350 people who made aliyah today have decided to link their personal future with the future of the Jewish state and the Jewish people.”

The group of newcomers included 127 young adults from the United States and Canada who will enlist in the Israel Defense Forces. A vast majority of the immigrant soldiers have requested to serve in combat units.