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Border police guarding Sudanese refugees who crossed into Israel illegally from Egypt two weeks ago. (Reuters)
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Last update - 11:38 29/08/2007
Israel considering construction of fence along Egyptian border
By Ruth Sinai and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents

Israel is considering the construction of a border fence in cooperation with Egypt to prevent the passage of terrorists, smugglers and asylum-seekers between the two countries, Prime Minister's Office Director General Ra'anan Dinur told the Knesset Committee on Foreign Workers on Tuesday.

A government official said Vice Premier Haim Ramon pitched the idea of the fence to the head yeof Egyptian Intelligence Omar Suleiman in Cairo a few weeks ago. Following Ramon's visit, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was considering opening official negotiations with Egypt on the fence. Egypt has yet to respond to the proposal.

Construction of the fence unilaterally by Israel would cost between NIS 2.5 to 3 billion. Officials in Jerusalem said it was unlikely Egypt would agree to the fence's construction, and thus a unilateral move would damage the relations between the two countries.

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At a special meeting called during the Knesset recess, Dinur also told the committee Israel would take in some 500 refugees from Darfur who had infiltrated from Egypt over the past two years, and that Olmert would present a proposal to that effect to the cabinet in mid-September.

Committee Chairman Ran Cohen (Meretz) called the meeting in protest over the deportation of 48 African citizens to Egypt last week.

"It is inconceivable that a persecuted person is not allowed to submit a request for asylum. This contravenes morality and international law," Cohen told Dinur.

Dinur responded that this was not deportation, but rather enforcing the Entry to Israel Law and that not all those crossing the border were persecuted.

Dinur also told the committee that NIS 18 million would be allocated to the construction of a tent camp at Ketziot in the south for African refugees, and NIS 44 million to operate it.

Cohen welcomed the decision to take in the 500 refugees, but added that the state could take in 1,000. Dinur left open the possibility that the number would be greater than 500.

There are now a few hundred refugees in Israel who had escaped genocide in Darfur, some of whom are families with children.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees representative Miki Bavli told the committee the refugees Israel deported last week had been arrested by the Egyptians and that UN representatives in Cairo are in contact with them.

Some six human rights groups in Israel have petitioned the High Court of Justice against the deportation of the 48 refugees and the intent to deport more. The petitioners demand the refugees be given the right to apply for asylum and that every refugee be given a hearing before a deportation order is issued.
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  1.   Build the fence between Jordan and Israel the final borders 04:07  |  e.m 29/08/07
  2.   Billions and Billions and Billions of US Dollars 04:27  |  Sarah 29/08/07
  3.   Man, this is so transparent...... 05:24  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  4.   #2, Sarah, nothing new there.... 05:46  |  Silvienne 29/08/07
  5.   The problem with fences 06:00  |  Mark Lincoln 29/08/07
  6.   Silvienne #4 What a laugh!! 06:08  |  Jason 29/08/07
  7.   #3, Johnboy... 06:15  |  Silvienne 29/08/07
  8.   #3 - Speaking of sanctimonous bleating... 06:21  |  JES 29/08/07
  9.   More fences.... 07:37  |  Esther 29/08/07
  10.   #8 At least JES is an honest zionist 07:59  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  11.   Johnboy, naturaly, what use would you have with a fence 08:03  |  Jake 29/08/07
  12.   Mark Lincoln never examined a map 08:07  |  Jake 29/08/07
  13.   Johnboy and Silvienne found a `proper use` of the Darfur issue 08:14  |  Jake 29/08/07
  14.   Israeli officials have no shame today... 08:24  |  Dutch 29/08/07
  15.   Anarchists and Human right activists will simply call it 08:26  |  Joseph E . 29/08/07
  16.   Israelis Should consider moving to another planet 08:27  |  Dutch 29/08/07
  17.   What? Another fence? 08:29  |  Tzfonit\ 29/08/07
  18.   Egyptian not Syrian nor Lebenese border 08:34  |  isratinian 29/08/07
  19.   FENCE ALONG MEDITERRANIAN SEA COAST 08:37  |  indrajaya 29/08/07
  20.   Haaretz 08:41  |  Edifice 29/08/07
  21.   #3 johnboy - your DIRTY little SECRET is Nauru 08:56  |  CK Tan 29/08/07
  22.   to johnboy 09:19  |  daniele 29/08/07
  23.   A nation of refugees should not be blocking others out.... 09:19  |  Dutch 29/08/07
  24.   to mark lincoln 09:22  |  daniele 29/08/07
  25.   Keep building those fences 09:31  |  Arab Man 29/08/07
  26.   7 Silvienne: On walls 09:44  |  Lee 29/08/07
  27.   re: Sarah 09:47  |  Efox 29/08/07
  28.   re: Johnboy 09:49  |  Efox 29/08/07
  29.   #11 Jake needs to look up the word "occupation" 09:50  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  30.   3Johnboy: Man, this is so transparent...... 09:51  |  Lee 29/08/07
  31.   14 Arab Man: Not a bad idea 09:53  |  Lee 29/08/07
  32.   re: Jake 09:53  |  Efox 29/08/07
  33.   MK Cohen is right.... 10:06  |  Dutch 29/08/07
  34.   ONLY A CONFIRMATION ABOUT ISRAEL MILITARY RULE ON GAZA 10:11  |  indrajaya 29/08/07
  35.   18 Johnboy re Jake 10:11  |  Rex 29/08/07
  36.   24-Dutch 10:23  |  Roy 29/08/07
  37.   # 15 10:24  |  Axel 29/08/07
  38.   FAKE INDRAJAYA # 26 ALERT 10:29  |  indrajaya 29/08/07
  39.   #3 johnboy - your DIRTY little SECRET is Nauru 10:29  |  CK Tan 29/08/07
  40.   ONE STEP MORE TO FURTHER ISOLATE ERETZ YSRAEL 10:31  |  indrajaya 29/08/07
  41.   14- Dutch: get goingfor another planet yourself 10:41  |  Roy 29/08/07
  42.   #21 Johnboy 10:42  |  Rab Burns 29/08/07
  43.   #27 That`s A Honkin` Big Strawman there, Rex 10:51  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  44.   Abbas wants to make a canal between Gaza and Egypt 10:55  |  Tamir Palestine 29/08/07
  45.   Esther 10:58  |  Israelit 29/08/07
  46.   Dutch 11:00  |  Double Dutch 29/08/07
  47.   Dutch make up your `mind` 11:01  |  Double Dutch 29/08/07
  48.   #22 Lee pounces upon the irrelevent 11:05  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  49.   Johnboy 11:06  |  Sarah 29/08/07
  50.   #24, john 11:08  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/08/07
  51.   18. Dutch: that?s Pals, isnt it? 11:17  |  KUTW 29/08/07
  52.   "damage relations between the two countries" 11:21  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/08/07
  53.   #34 Yet Another Great Big Yawn at CK Tan 11:21  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  54.   #24 johnboy 11:23  |  Zelkha 29/08/07
  55.   Boy, did they get a wrong number 11:28  |  Natallie Durson 29/08/07
  56.   To Dutch - Absorb the Sudanese in Holland 11:31  |  Moti 29/08/07
  57.   Well US taxpayers have in the end to pay for that fence 11:44  |  Petteri 29/08/07
  58.   Jake # 13 11:46  |  ChanahS 29/08/07
  59.   #37 Rab Burns knee-jerks with the best of `em 11:50  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  60.   What? Another fence? 11:52  |  Tzfonit 29/08/07
  61.   Build the fence on the Israeli side and an Absorption Center 12:10  |  Alicia 29/08/07
  62.   Ghetto within a Ghetto within a Ghetto ...etc. 12:23  |  Sharif Hafez 29/08/07
  63.   Beggar state of Egypt dictating if Israel is to build on Israeli 12:26  |  Absolute Sweden 29/08/07
  64.   to Sharif Hafez, "Learn from Sadat!" 13:11  |  Akiva Patysh 29/08/07
  65.   sudanese 13:25  |  Rab Burns 29/08/07
  66.   #11 johnboy has never heard of the rabbit fence across oz ?? 13:26  |  victor hardman 29/08/07
  67.   AXEL #32 you SHOULD KNOW 13:28  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 29/08/07
  68.   # 44 jon feigenbaum 13:49  |  Axel 29/08/07
  69.   #25 Man, this is so irrelevent.. 13:50  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  70.   Israel should have been founded on an island... 13:53  |  Burkhardt 29/08/07
  71.   #43 victor poses a question 13:54  |  Johnboy 29/08/07
  72.   jon feigenbaum 14:19  |  Axel 29/08/07
  73.