Israel has finally decided the fate of Darfurian refugees.
Despite expelling nearly 50 Sudanese refugees in an overnight operation on Saturday, Israel has agreed to absorb 500 asylum-seekers from Darfur, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced on Sunday.
… Egyptian security said late Saturday that Israel sent back 48 Africans, most of them Sudanese, across the border with Egypt.
Israel has been faced with a very difficult dilemma and well-founded worries these past few months. While it’s difficult to be completely happy, I must say the approach being taken is balanced.
… Egyptian police said Darfurians were among the 48 - and would be expelled from Egypt to Sudan.
I hope once back in Sudan, they won’t get executed like these guys. Or worse, mercilessly beaten and killed by Egyptian security.
My position has always been to allow the refugees already within Israel to stay with priority being given to Darfurian refugee families. Unlike Darfurians, Southern Sudanese won’t be in real danger if deported. The SPLM will most probably protect them from punishment.
If there has been anything good about this whole episode, then it was the chance it gave everyone to witness the intense inter-Israeli debates on the issue. I know a few Sudanese, I emphasize few, who told me recently they found the whole spectacle revealing and fascinating. Seeing Jews arguing against other Jews and passionately defending the Darfurian refugees, contradicts the “Jews are evil” mindset most Muslim Sudanese are brainwashed into believing from a young age.
… Eytan Schwartz, an advocate for Darfur refugees in Israel, said about 400 have entered Israel in recent years. Baker said they would be allowed to live in Israel, and that the ban applied to new arrivals.
Schwartz objected to any such ban. “The state of Israel has to show compassion for refugees after the Jewish people was subject to persecution throughout its history,” he said.
Indeed, Jews are inherently evil.
I predict we’ll soon get to hear some grumbling from a Sudanese government official.
SudaneseThinker
SudaneseThinker
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hopefully said official doesn’t start a chain reaction where he ends up taking out his anger on the deported refugees. I expected such a deportation to occur should Israel deport Sudanese to Egypt, and I’m fully of an opinion that we shouldn’t deport Darfurians, if they do manage to get all the way to our side of the border.
But some good came out of it, anyway.
Nothing to add…Drima expressed 99% of my thoughts.
..good news for the families. there is nothing as frustrating as waiting anywhere without knowing whether you can stay, send ur kids to school, work and so on..
Oh forgot to add a hat-tip. Thanks for the link Howie!
It’s a sad situation all around. But obviously the entire country cannot spill out into surrounding countries. Darfur itself needs to be made liveable.
Drima, I had a comment of mine awaiting moderation on this topic. Could you look into it, please?
Drima:
I do wonder how much coverage a story like this would get on good old Al Jazerra
Comment’s up now, thanks man.
Leave a Comment