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Last update - 00:00 12/06/2008
Israel's own version of Holocaust denial
By Bradley Burston
Tags: Israel, Darfur, Sudan 


Imagine, if you will, a Jewish state founded as a refuge and last resort, which one day declares the act of seeking refuge a felony.

Imagine, if you can, a law that would allow the expulsion, without any judicial process, of refugees so desperate to reach that state, that they would hazard their very lives and those of their children to do so. Imagine, impossible as it may be, that a Jewish state that is home to hundreds of thousands of Holocaust survivors, could decide not only to imprison African refugees for five years, but to make those fleeing genocide in Sudan subject to prison sentences of at least seven years.

Such are the outlines of a bill that has already sailed through a preliminary Knesset vote. So callous is the language of the bill, so cruel its provisions toward Africans now fleeing a host of dangers, that the Prevention of Infiltration Act of 2008 may be said to constitute a whole new form of Holocaust denial. It is a denial grounded in the belief of many Israeli Jews that we are so well versed in the lessons of the Holocaust - and so often ingenuously compared to the Nazis - that we are incapable of treating others the way the wartime world acted toward its doomed Jews.

For decades, Israeli leaders, frightened of opening a Pandora's box holding millions of Palestinian refugees, ducked and deferred policymaking on the larger issues of non-Jewish refugee asylum. They allowed temporary "emergency regulations" on "infiltrators" to remain on the books as the sole legislation on the subject since they were enacted 54 years ago. Officialdom did its best to shy away from the Darfur and wider African refugee problem as well, until the influx of asylum seekers proved too massive to ignore.

The risks of inaction regarding African refugees in Israel, and the moral shadow of the world's response to the Holocaust, have been evident for some time. As early as 2006, Yad Vashem chair Avner Shalev urged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to take decisive action on behalf of those fleeing mass killings and unimaginable horrors. "As members of the Jewish people, for whom the memory of the Holocaust burns," Shalev wrote at the time, "we cannot stand by as refugees from the genocide in Darfur hammer on our doors."

What was needed, then as now, was creativity and compassion in fashioning a policy that, in the words of Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai (Labor), would strike a balance "between human rights, security needs, and proper order, taking into account the dimensions of the problem." Instead of that, we now have the bill Vilnai himself sponsored. Though the bill passed its initial Knesset plenum reading last month by a 21-1 vote, it has raised serious second thoughts even among some of the lawmakers who voted in favor of it.

The bill's provisions include empowering security forces to hold refugees without arraignment for as long as 18 days. Worse, the proposed law would allow soldiers in the field to carry out "hot returns" within three days of the refugees' capture, sending them back across the Sinai border, where they could be gunned down by Egyptian forces, or re-deported to Sudan, to be greeted by firing squads. It would be wise for Israelis to look closely at the reasons why the refugees choose to seek shelter in Israel, of all places. The stories they have told the Israelis who have helped house them and see to their medical, legal and other needs, are often shocking when viewed in the context of the new law. Many have told my wife, a nurse who volunteered in a Tel Aviv clinic for the refugees, that they chose Israel because it was the only democracy in the region. Another told attorney and refugee activist Anat Ben-Dor that he made the choice because, as printed on his Sudanese passport, Israel was the one country in the world Sudan forbade him to visit.

All the more obscene, then, that the new bill reserves special punishment (seven-year terms versus five for other refugee "infiltrators") for those fleeing countries the bill defines as "enemy states" - Sudan among them. The Darfur catastrophe, and the issues of Africans fleeing drought, starvation, pestilence, organized sexual assault, vicious despotism, rampant banditry and sudden war, are certainly not Israel's to solve. Nor can a small country with a heart-stopping range of problems of its own be expected to open its gates wide to uncounted thousands of refugees. Israel can, however, begin to serve as a model and a facilitator - yes, as a conscience - for the humanitarian effort the entire developed world should be shouldering. The author and journalist Gershom Gorenberg has proposed that Israel should publicly declare its commitment to take in a number of refugees that it can reasonably support, and convene an international conference at Yad Vashem, where nations' representatives will be "pushed, prodded and guilt-tripped to stand to make commitments on how many refugees they will accept."

In the interim - and certainly before the bill comes up for final Knesset approval in a few weeks - legislators would do well to re-read Deuteronomy 10:19: "Love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

_______________

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  1.   A HOLOCAUST INDUSTRY ON THE STOLEN LANDS 09:46  |  indrajaya 13/06/08
  2.   Further proof that Zionism is a racist ideology 10:02  |  Chanalau, Tova 13/06/08
  3.   A sick, sick country 10:03  |  Marilyn 13/06/08
  4.   Keeping the role of "Victim" exclusive to Jews 10:06  |  Natallie Durson 13/06/08
  5.   aparthied revisited... 10:10  |  ravi 13/06/08
  6.   The stern finger-waggers of Talkback. 10:36  |  Clickfool 13/06/08
  7.   NEW VERSION OF ISRAEL! 10:41  |  PADDY 13/06/08
  8.   Bradley, you grossly exaggerate 10:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/06/08
  9.   Brad, read the first seven posts: perfect for freedom of speech 11:00  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/06/08
  10.   It`s the dishonesty that`s most sickening 11:05  |  Colin Wright 13/06/08
  11.   As for you, Mr.Burston... 11:13  |  Colin Wright 13/06/08
  12.   re Clickfool #6 `The stern finger waggers` 11:20  |  Colin Wright 13/06/08
  13.   Israel`s new version of Holocaust denial 11:30  |  No Name 13/06/08
  14.   # 8 I`m all right Jack! 11:31  |  Vinegar Hill. 13/06/08
  15.   re #2 `Further proof that Zionism is a racist ideology` 11:36  |  Colin Wright 13/06/08
  16.   Your existing and new "laws" are racist 11:54  |  Steve the Pals. 13/06/08
  17.   The solution of the refugee problem 12:01  |  Alex Leibovici 13/06/08
  18.   Bradley Burston, you are right. 12:06  |  Jan Vlaming 13/06/08
  19.   Why the bicycle riders? Why the Jews? 12:07  |  dyinglikeflies 13/06/08
  20.   Israel to pay for EU hypocrisy? 12:18  |  Jonathan S 13/06/08
  21.   they came for the black man, but... 12:26  |  Sean 13/06/08
  22.   The solution of the refugee problem and Darfur itself 13:00  |  Burned Liberal 13/06/08
  23.   1)Law should be changed 2)Better in prison than Dhimmi in Soudan 13:25  |  Arthur 13/06/08
  24.   Sudan refugees in Israel - already over 10,000 13:53  |  Avram 13/06/08
  25.   new legislation 14:14  |  Hlda 13/06/08
  26.   Return the refugees to Egypt via the UN 14:45  |  Tosefta 13/06/08
  27.   Israel a receiver, not a giver 15:43  |  hollingsworth 13/06/08
  28.   ANTI-JEWS are the RACISTS 16:27  |  Ipical Tysraeli 13/06/08
  29.   Colin Wright a bit wrong 16:38  |  Israeli 13/06/08
  30.   Bradley why do you keep on at us Jews... 16:45  |  Miriam Ashkelon 13/06/08
  31.   #3 SICK, Sick MADarilyn sic! 17:14  |  Ari ben Yisrael 13/06/08
  32.   indrajaya, your posts are always slanted and useless 17:19  |  Akiva P 13/06/08
  33.   Dyinglike flies 17:19  |  Marilyn 13/06/08
  34.   Imagine If You Can A Tiny Lifeboat 17:27  |  Yosemite 13/06/08
  35.   Clickfool # 6 17:41  |  Hans 13/06/08
  36.   Mr Burston. 17:44  |  David Nigel Braham 13/06/08
  37.   Hollingsworth and Natalie 18:07  |  Miriam Ashkelon 13/06/08
  38.   Nothing new here 18:18  |  W 13/06/08
  39.   Who cares about them 18:38  |  just a jew 13/06/08
  40.   Bradley A very Unfair Commentary..Does it behoove Israel ? 18:44  |  KATHY 13/06/08
  41.   #12 Colin 18:44  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/06/08
  42.   It is time for Moslems to take care of Moslems 19:11  |  Gene Warech 13/06/08
  43.   1. indrajaya: THE STOLEN LANDS 19:41  |  KUTW 13/06/08
  44.   2. Marilyn, the occupier 19:44  |  KUTW 13/06/08
  45.   5. ravi: African refugees in India? 19:45  |  KUTW 13/06/08
  46.   I am amazed at the Israeli bashers here 19:49  |  KUTW 13/06/08
  47.   27. hollingsworth: The pals are receiving the most 19:52  |  KUTW 13/06/08
  48.   15. Colin Wright: You are a racist 19:55  |  KUTW 13/06/08
  49.   to miriam 19:56  |  hollingsworth 13/06/08
  50.   hollingsworth "... a receiver, not a giver." 20:53  |  17 13/06/08
  51.   TOSEFTA,CLICKFOOL,INDRA,go to the thread about girl killed by ham 20:59  |  hypocrytes 13/06/08
  52.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 21:09  |  Deborah 13/06/08
  53.   When Israel has created so many refugees... 21:12  |  Deborah 13/06/08
  54.   Mr Hollingsworth 21:12  |  Miriam Ashkelon 13/06/08
  55.   Like flies to honey 21:30  |  Boris 13/06/08
  56.   kathy 40 21:32  |  potobac 13/06/08
  57.   No Comparison! Just more burston hate inciting! 21:55  |  Avram 13/06/08
  58.   Pictures Are Worth A Million Words 22:06  |  Yosemite 13/06/08
  59.   Our Israel Haters are amazing 22:41  |  Scharker Yid 13/06/08
  60.   Let me help a little KUTW 22:51  |  Scharker Yid 13/06/08
  61.   African immigrants in the Mediterranean 22:58  |  David Israel 13/06/08
  62.   57. Scharker Yid: at least, he is coherent 23:24  |  KUTW 13/06/08
  63.   Mr. Burston...Tim Russert, one of your colleagues 23:41  |  Lynn 13/06/08
  64.   #50 17 **hollingsworth "... a receiver, not a giver." 00:12  |  . 14/06/08
  65.   # 42Gene Warech It is time for Moslems to take care of Moslems 01:01  |  . 14/06/08
  66.   Burston 01:05  |  Kerry 14/06/08
  67.   #52...Deborah 01:22  |  Nemesis 14/06/08
  68.   Arab hypocrisy 01:23  |  Kerry 14/06/08
  69.   A Girl with an Apple 01:24  |  Joseph.E Part 1 14/06/08
  70.   A Girl with an Apple 01:25  |  Joseph.E Part 2 14/06/08
  71.   A Girl with an Apple 01:27  |  Joseph.E Part 3 14/06/08
  72.   A Girl with an Apple 01:28  |  Joseph.E Part 4 14/06/08
  73.   "Israel a small country with a heart." 01:29  |  Maureen Ann 14/06/08
  74.   Israel`s Version of Holocaust Denial 02:04  |  michael Hollander 14/06/08
  75.   stolen lands 02:13  |  michael Hollander 14/06/08
  76.   Hollingsworth 02:19  |  Marty 14/06/08
  77.   Burston the cunning wanker 03:45  |  Free Gilad Shalit 14/06/08
  78.   Bradley, better hire a Darfurian to replace Slowman 05:26  |  Bursting Brad 14/06/08
  79.   Israel is accepting refugees again 05:36  |  Gary 14/06/08
  80.   jews a giving people? 05:42  |  hollingsworth 14/06/08
  81.   jews a giving people? 05:42  |  hollingsworth 14/06/08
  82.   Are jews a giving people? 05:49  |  hollingsworth 14/06/08
  83.   Jonathan S, You Are Only Half Right 06:44  |  CHGODMK 14/06/08
  84.   re Colin Wright #12 `re clickfool #6` 08:17  |  Colin Wright 14/06/08
  85.   re #75 `stolen lands` 08:25  |  Colin Wright 14/06/08
  86.   hollingworth #82 the ideas vomiter. Just read him - 09:34  |  S 14/06/08
  87.   Amen Burned Liberal: Destroy the Aggressor 09:41  |  Evn Perach 14/06/08
  88.   Info for Mr Hollingsworth 09:46  |  Miriam Ashkelon 14/06/08
  89.   bradley and his FAST-FOOD solutions (2x) 09:51  |  CK Tan 14/06/08
  90.   MR HOLLINGWORTH ONE MORE NOTEWORTHY EFFORT ... 09:54  |  Miriam Ashkelon 14/06/08
  91.   #6 clickfool can`t stop WAGGING his tail in DELIGHT 09:54  |  CK Tan 14/06/08
  92.   #33 marilyn SNARLS and SHOWS off her SAVAGERY and... 09:55  |  CK Tan 14/06/08
  93.   #85 colin wright WANTS to PRE-EMPT the TRUTH 10:03  |  CK Tan 14/06/08
  94.   Hollingsworth - sorry a few typing errors on my part... 10:15  |  Miriam Ashkelon 14/06/08
  95.   Hollingsworth - as usually on receiving end - 10:15  |  17 14/06/08
  96.   #88, Miriam Ashkelon, & my friend S 10:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/06/08
  97.   "Das Boot ist Voll" 10:35  |  samos 14/06/08
  98.   #83, CHGOD, "those liberal, humanist Jews" 10:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/06/08
  99.   Misuse of Holocaust is denial as well ! 11:27  |  Fritz T. 14/06/08
  100.   Cipora #96 13:12  |  Miriam Ashkelon 14/06/08
  101.   Conference 13:24  |  Jan Vlaming 14/06/08
  102.   Bradley: we cannot afford being emotional about this 13:32  |  AliciaYasmeen 14/06/08
  103.   Bradley: here´s a challenge to the UN and the West 14:00  |  AliciaYasmeen 14/06/08
  104.   Cipora, my dear friend, and Miriam Ashkelon 14:14  |  S 14/06/08
  105.   The question is:Is`t worth reading Bradley Burston any more ?! 15:32  |  Akram Zekaria 14/06/08
  106.   imigrants 17:06  |  joseph theeboom 14/06/08
  107.   Cipora 17:46  |  CHGODMK 14/06/08
  108.   # 83 CHGODMK...condemning and degrading 17:53  |  Lynn 14/06/08
  109.   CHGODMK 18:03  |  Danite 14/06/08
  110.   Deborah re Deborah 52 18:07  |  KUTW 14/06/08
  111.   Evn: Babel 18:08  |  CHGODMK 14/06/08
  112.   53. Deborah : The indigenous are the Jews 18:10  |  KUTW 14/06/08
  113.   Cipora re Deborah 52 18:10  |  KUTW 14/06/08
  114.   This story Joseph (A Girl with an Apple) is for me and you 20:42  |  Jew- and Bookburner 14/06/08
  115.   kutw 107 21:06  |  potobac 14/06/08
  116.   re CK Tan #93 22:23  |  Colin Wright 14/06/08
  117.   #15 Colin Wright 22:28  |  Boycott 14/06/08
  118.   Haaretz is loosing it 22:42  |  ScotGuy 14/06/08
  119.   Post #28 given false author name 22:45  |  Israeli 14/06/08
  120.   109. potobac 22:58  |  KUTW 14/06/08
  121.   # 80 hollingsworth Giving in and..Interpretations On?? 23:12  |  KATHY 14/06/08
  122.   an undemonstrated SELF PERCEPTION might explain it... 23:30  |  eric 14/06/08
  123.   48 KUTW - You Couldn`t be More Wrong 23:48  |  Mark of Lewiston 14/06/08
  124.   Joseph E. #69-#72 thank you for very moving story... 00:31  |  Smadar 15/06/08
  125.   To Boycott #117 `Colin Wright` 00:38  |  Colin Wright 15/06/08
  126.   To Mark of Lewiston #123 `To KUTW` 00:45  |  Colin Wright 15/06/08
  127.   to Chris Linthwaite #41 `Colin Wright` 00:54  |  Colin Wright 15/06/08
  128.   write on, Colin 01:07  |  Israeli 15/06/08
  129.   #118 Scotguy..Haaretz is loosing it.. 01:44  |  anonymous 15/06/08
  130.   #107, CHGOD 01:45  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/06/08
  131.   #109, Danite 01:54  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/06/08
  132.   #125 Colin Wright 02:26  |  Boycott 15/06/08
  133.   K again 02:37  |  hollingsworth 15/06/08
  134.   126 Colin - American Hx 03:22  |  Mark of Lewiston 15/06/08
  135.   #KUTW. Indigenous Jews. How about letting Gadhafi... 03:54  |  Maureen Ann 15/06/08
  136.   What is the UN doing? 04:17  |  Joseph 15/06/08
  137.   Although there are only ... 04:23  |  Sherlock Holmes 15/06/08
  138.   Cipora, You have a (conveniently) short memory 04:23  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  139.   Cipora II: Positions of Convenience 04:29  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  140.   Danite #109 04:36  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  141.   Thank You, Avram! #57 04:44  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  142.   Lynn, I agree with every point of yours... 05:03  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  143.   Jews from arab lands 09:25  |  The outraged one 15/06/08
  144.   Bradley, regarding the suggestion of an international conference 09:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/06/08
  145.   126Colin Wright&Mark of Lewiston 09:33  |  KUTW 15/06/08
  146.   Cipora #144: More Excuses Not to Act 17:10  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  147.   # 133 hollingsworth..Oh You Did Not Read Properly.Jesus: 21:50  |  KATHY 15/06/08
  148.   #133 hollingsworth...You Did Not Read My Post.re;JESUS 22:02  |  KATHY 15/06/08
  149.   #144 CHGOD 22:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/06/08
  150.   Cipora #148 23:26  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  151.   Joseph in London re: What the UN is Doing? 23:43  |  CHGODMK 15/06/08
  152.   #138, CHGOD 00:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/06/08
  153.   #139, CHGOD 00:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/06/08
  154.   Cipora #152 01:14  |  CHGODMK 16/06/08
  155.   Cipora #153 01:24  |  CHGODMK 16/06/08
  156.   CHGOD 01:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/06/08
  157.   To Indrajaya 07:47  |  John 16/06/08
  158.   Cipora 15:03  |  CHGODMK 16/06/08
  159.   kol hakavod Cipora 16:40  |  Israeli 16/06/08
  160.   getting the story straight 16:50  |  hollingsworth 16/06/08
  161.   Israeli 17:37  |  CHGODMK 16/06/08
  162.   #133 `Son of God` 17:55  |  Jan Vlaming 16/06/08
  163.   #159, Israeli 20:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/06/08
  164.   Cipora 20:51  |  CHGODMK 16/06/08
  165.   And what of the 400 villages erased off the map? 00:53  |  Jeff 17/06/08
  166.   Jeff, what do Muslims teach about Jews? 14:25  |  Israeli 17/06/08
  167.   Re: Prevention of Infiltration Act 04:49  |  Tim 18/06/08
  168.   BETTER ALIVE THAN DEAD BY EGYPTIANS 10:40  |  A ZIONIST 21/06/08
  169.   Burston is a Dishonest Fool 19:09  |  Philo-Semite 07/07/08
  170.   Holocaust victims 06:36  |  Yechielshlipshon 22/02/09
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