Jpost Aug06-08 [tziki Sela]

3 ‫עמוד‬

offici Rights groups slamInterior over remarkson illegal workers

Yishai:Expulsion willleadpeople to leave willingl policy By RON

The

FRIEDMAN

clinic, which

providesmedical

for uninsured foreignworkers, and others, was full of patients refugees

care

Human rights organizationson Wednesday accused Interior Ministry officialsof inciting xenophobiafollow-

coming who

in the press from InteriMinister EliYishai and Tziki Sela,the head of the ImmigrationAuthority's Oz

ing statements

down

an

inter-

Sela, in which he lashed out againstorganizationsthat helpmigrant

IS

"We take

U.M.

AGAINST

business. Take yourselves will give you Return

homelands," he said, In reference to the

to

radio talk show

Sela'sremarks. "Tziki [Sela] said what

defended

the minister said. "He was in the army for many years. He dedicated his whole lifeto serving the country. He sees his service as Zionist mission of utmost importanceto the State of Israel,to get these

people out of the country and it.He, and all stop them from entering those who work with him, are deserving of the gratitude and appreciation of all Israelicitizens." Yishai said the

see

in

againstfor-

Europe,"she

said. we

do

see

that elected offi-

cials and government employeesallow themselves to express themselves using racist and vulgar terms that you wouldn't see in any other Western country. There's an anomaly. Those who lead and the

encourage

the hatred

come

from

top."

Korzen

say about

they

said that

foreignworkers

she

generallyhave positivethings to are

Israelisand about the way treated in day-to-day life.She

"The moment

there is deportation,pointedto the support gap between rather, an expulsion policyin place, she sees at anti-deportation protests and then people won't enter the country on the street, and the words of Sela and and more people will leave willingly.Yishai. or

The come

that

there is no

moment of

icy,tens in

as

thousands

tourists,stay,take up jobs Israelis,and have chil-

belong to

dren.

expulsion polpeoplewill

of

the

should

government

that it has. The government problem with the Sudanese

had

no

refugees

when

they wrapped them in Israeli flagsand took them to [the UN's European headquartersin] Geneva," said Cohen. "What ment,

heard

we

today

incite-

was

againstorganizationsand

foreigners.Such

against

contribute to when xenophobia,especially they're said during an economic crisis like we have

words

today."

Jews around the world often support the Israeligovernment'spolicies automatically,"said Cohen, "but "I know

"However,

meets

tough approachwould immigration to Israel. help stop illegal

think

Cohen

Rights.

ment

the type of hate crimes

ness

eignersthat you he believes in,"

think it'sthe govcare of these

take

it'sconvenient, the governboasts of Israel'shuman rights record and the great organizations

CHILD

002,1 children of

and

to

"When

your

workers, whose illegal deportationwas delayedfollowing decision by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last PEOPLE PROTEST against Sela said, "At the end of the government Thursday, on workers and Sudanese policy migrant the result will be that with all the day, refugeesin Tel Aviv. (KobiW01f/AP) painand sorrow, there is nothingto do. There is large of 002,1 children group who have no legalpermitsand that's "We are unique in that overall there that. They are justguestshere." are not many blatant public displaysof Later that morning, Yishai appeared hatred toward foreigners, we don't witon

job

for caring for its responsibility inhabitants, especially if we're talking about people it permittedentry to in the firstplace.

We willingly.

flighttickets. Leave.

doctors

people,not ours," said Ran from Physiciansfor Human

1m

DEPORi/aTIO*

workers. "Theywant to bringabout the destruction of Israel,"he said. "We mean and leave

the volunteer

this clinic.We

ernment's ■■

view with

see

from patientsfor everything

influenza to cancer. "We would like to be able to close

or

enforcement unit. The cover of Ma'ariv featured

to

treat

"It's easy to stir up hate and fear, much easier than making rational arguments. But that is the way of dark regimes. advise them to stop making these types of statements and instead

it'simportantthey look at this critically and ask questions like: How come the government is flagrantly ignoring the Supreme Court's decision on the

is it that four years after the first mass deportation we alreadyhave another one on our

binding policy?Why

hands?

What

kind

of

immigration pol-

icy do the Jews of the world see Israel have?" Kav another

want

to

LaOved

(Worker's Hotline), nonprofit organization,sent

out

response statement "Sela'smiserable comments

which

delegitimization campaign authorities

are

read,

bringsthe that

the

running against rights

to new low, and display organization basic misunderstanding of the role

these groups fillin democratic society. 000,003 workers made it in here, face the legitimate "It is out of deep concern for the publiccriticism that ifthere won't be clear pol- is beingheard in recent months." Kav nature of Israeli societythat million," In the wake of the comments, LaOved will continue to act icy,the number will rise to Physitirelessly to he said. cians for Human invited Rights-Israel protect the rightsof allIsraeli workers Shevy Korzen, executive director of reportersto their clinic in Jaffa,to see migrantworkers, Israeliworkers, Pales"If believe me,

Hotline for Migrant Workers, for themselves whether their actions in expressed dismay that such comments support of migrant workers are the type would come from senior publicoffi- of thingsthat are intended to destroy

the

cial

the state

tinian

workers,

and asylumrefugees

seekers and to advance open public debate about the policyof arrest and

/‫ ׳‬the

statement

said