Category: Israel and refugees

Egyptian border confusion: IDF unit refuses to send “refugees” back to Egypt

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The incident highlights the political confusion (lack of will?)  in Israel regarding asylum seekers and economic migrants pouring into the country—-help migrants knowing that by doing so Israel could soon be taken over from within?  It is the same story here, it’s just that the US is bigger and it will take longer before we know we are finished.

From Haaretz:

Soldiers and officers in a reserve battalion that served on the Egyptian border in recent weeks have told their commanders they will not take part in “immediate return” – the sending back to Egypt of Africans sneaking into Israel. The brigade commander, meanwhile, has confirmed that the battalion will not carry out “immediate return.”

The Negev Brigade’s elite reconnaissance battalion completed a three-week deployment on the border. Nearly every night, Africans crossed the frontier, mostly Sudanese and Eritreans, and at least one time, Libyans.

Early in the deployment, a family of Eritreans was stopped. A company commander was ordered to send the transients back toward an Egyptian checkpoint.

The soldiers and officers had heard descriptions from colleagues who regularly serve in the area about abuse of the Africans by Egyptian border policemen – violence, rape and murder – and refused to carry out the order. The commander contacted the battalion commander, Lt. Col. (res. ) Avi Friedman.

Friedman supported his men and contacted the brigade commander, Col. Yair Barkat, who then agreed that the troops would not carry out “immediate return.”

During the deployment, Africans received medical treatment, food, drink and were taken to a holding area on the Israeli side of the border.

Officer:   “Israel has a problem, and they don’t know what to do, so they fob it off on the army.”

Soldiers and officers from the battalion who spoke to Haaretz asked to remain anonymous. “We’re proud of what we did, but we don’t want to make a big deal out of it,” one said. “What we had to say we said internally, to the battalion and brigade commanders. Israel has a problem, and they don’t know what to do, so they fob it off on the army.”

For further reading on Israel’s “refugee” issues we have a whole category, here.

Those poor oppressed Palestinian refugees in Gaza execute peace activist

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here is something for the American Left to ponder as they protest in support of the oppressed Gazan refugees.

A kafir is a kafir no matter if he is a Leftist or not.  Our friend Jerry Gordon has the story here at the Iconoclast.

Italian peace activist killed in Gaza.

The abduction and execution of hapless Italian ISM [International Solidarity Movement] advocate Vittorio Arrigoni in Gaza illustrates the dangers of misguided liberals, academics and Jewish communal leaders in Orange County, California and elsewhere in the US who believe that dialoging with the enemy will hone your skills in combating hate. As illustrated in the Arrigoni case, it will make you dead. His shaved head bearded Salafist abductors had their kafir to kill, regardless of whether he was pro-Palestinian or not.

Read it all.  Makes me think about Obama’s friends Bill Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dohrn and their role in last year’s Gaza Flotilla (coming up again in mid-May).   Hey, Palestinians!  Heads up!  More kafirs on the way!

Israel too trying to stem the flow of African migrants

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here is an article critical, (surprise! not!) from NPR, of Israel for trying to slow the flow of economic migrants (illegal immigrants) into their tiny country.

Israeli officials have stepped up efforts to stem the flow of African asylum seekers and migrant workers into Israel. With numbers reaching into the tens of thousands, Israeli officials are pressed to find a policy to combat the ever-increasing flow of people.

Israeli construction workers are battling against the blustery wind and sandstorms to build a fence across one stretch of desert.

The $270 million fence will cover 87 miles of Israel’s southern border with Egypt. African refugees are smuggled through this area almost daily. They travel thousands of miles and often spend their life savings to try to reach Israel, a country they see as their doorstep to the West.

Israel, however, is far from laying down the welcome mat.

And, why should they?  A properous, successful country can only take so many needy people before the life boat sinks.  Many of those crossing into Israel are not even refugees inspite of NPR’s efforts to purposefully(?) mix illegal aliens, economic migrants and true refugees and asylees into one giant hash so no one knows the difference.  Many also are probably Muslims who would surely like to help their Palestinian brothers wipe out Israel if they could.

Check out this blog (GetReligion.org) where I first saw the story.  The author makes some good points.

Geert Wilders tells the truth about Palestinian “refugees”

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Cranmer, an interesting blog from England, posts the entirety of a speech the brave Dutch politician Geert Wilders gave in Tel Aviv. It’s a wide-ranging speech, and it covers the topic of the “refugees” very well. Here’s an excerpt:

Israel is often being treated unfairly. The world looks at the plight of the Palestinians in refugee camps in Lebanon, Gaza, and other places, and many blame Israel. The UN claims that there are over 4.7 million Palestinian refugees, and many blame Israel. These voices say the Palestinians should be allowed to return to “Palestine.” But where is Palestine? Many say Israel must solve the problems of Palestine. But is Israel guilty of the plight of the Palestinian refugees?

My answer is “No.” The Arab leaders are to be blamed — and Islam is to be blamed. Let me first tell you why, and then I will tell you where Palestine can be found.

At the end of World War II, there were 50 million refugees. Today, all the refugee problems dating from before the 1950s have been solved. All, except one — the problem of the Palestinians.

Why did this problem not get solved? The reason is simple: Because the Arab countries did not allow it to get solved. And because Islam does not allow it to get solved.

“Archbishop Cranmer” (the blogger takes his name from Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII and Edward VI, who wrote the Book of Common Prayer) comments:

There are few politicians in the West who realise that the ‘Jihad’ against Israel is a war against all of us: our lives, our liberties and our pursuit of happiness. And if they do realise, they dare not say.

And, as Wilders makes clear, the refugee situation is simply part of the jihad.

Cranmer hat-tips  Gates of Vienna for the speech, so I pass that on.

Israel: New detention facility proposed and a process for seeking asylum

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

We have written on many previous occasions about Israel and refugees, indeed we have an entire category on the subject.  As we reported previously, Israel has not had a very good system for dealing with the tens of thousands of asylum seekers coming across its borders.  Here is a story from Haaretz that says that Sunday (today? maybe last Sunday?) there will be a discussion of the subject in the Netanyahu government.  I wonder though if the terrible fire in Israel will cause postponement of this project.

A proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish an installation in the south for infiltrators who mean no harm will be brought before the cabinet for approval on Sunday.

Also Sunday, the government is expected to vote on new regulations to make determining refugee status more efficient. These rules will be applied when the non-security-related infiltrators seek asylum in Israel.

Meanwhile, in an unexpected turn of events, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said late last week he doesn’t want the Prison Service managing the installation.

Determining refugee status

According to the Population and Immigration Authority, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people crossing into Israel along the border. That number is currently estimated at 34,566.

One of the government’s plans is to establish procedures for determining refugee status.

Someone who entered Israel illegally will have a year to file a request for asylum. The head of the authorities for determining refugee status will then be able to reject the application if the person’s identity is not proved or the applicant does not meet the criteria for being recognized as a refugee. The current practice is that every request for asylum involves an in-depth interview.