Peres: Deporting migrant workers' children is unthinkable
Defense Minister Barak: Arresting and deporting hundreds of Hebrew-speaking children will deal a critical blow to Israel's image.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Shimon Peres migrant workers immigration police Ehud Barak Eli YishaiPresident Shimon Peres said Thursday that it was inconceivable for Israel to deport Israeli-born children of migrant workers, this in the wake of a government decision to deport 400 such children.
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President Shimon Peres |
| Photo by: Tomer Neuberg |
"In the case of the 400 children, who were born in Israel, who speak Hebrew, speak Israeli, and feel Israeli – to cut them off and deport them would be unconscionable. I that that we certainly should let them stay in Israel," Peres said.
The president added that there are a lot of people who want to come to Israel but "we simply don't have the capacity to absorb them." He emphasized, however, that the deportation of the children is unthinkable.
Peres' remarks came at the heels of an announcement Wednesday by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who said he would try to initiate a renewed discussion on the fate of the migrant workers' children at the next cabinet meeting on Sunday. Shortly after his announcement, associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that no such discussion was expected.
In response to Barak's remarks against the deportation of the children, Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who has campaigned to implement the deportation, said Wednesday that "it is too bad that some people are taking advantage of foreign children to gain ratings."
"[The deportation] is a government decision that stemmed from an in-depth discussion and the thorough work of an inter-ministerial committee. It is not appropriate to make the government's work hollow. It is strange that he who ignored the immigration issue at first is now acting like he first heard of the problem today," Yishai said.
Barak, who was absent from the meeting on the fate of the children due to a diplomatic trip to Washington, said Wednesday that "the decision to grant legal status to some 800 migrant workers was good and just, but the decision to arrest and deport 400 children is arbitrary. The sight of police raiding migrant workers' homes and pulling children out by force, the sight of prison guards holding entire families inside cells and the sight of the Ministry of Interior taking Hebrew-speaking children and leading them onto planes, will cause all of us irreversible harm, both inwardly and outwardly."
According to Barak, "Israel's demographic balance won't change if legal status is granted to all the children to parents currently living in Israel who arrived here legally. However, the arrest and deportation of hundreds of Hebrew-speaking children, the parents of whom were invited by Israeli authorities to take care of our elderly, build our buildings and work our farmland, will deal a critical blow to Israel's image in the world."
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I would hope that Jan Brewer our retarded governor, might learn from this story. Unfortunately, I don't think so. One story that makes me proud of my ties to Israel
As a Sovreign State, Israel can deport any of the non-citizens who live there for almost any reason or none at all. But it is inhumane to separate children from their parents. Deport the entier family if you must, but keep the families together.
Shimon, before you mind the migrants mind the emploiment and poor childeren situation in Israel/ Then and only then, have bugetary comitment for your populistic ideas.
Why do u confuse the issues? We were thrown out because - wherever we lived - we were persecuted. Who persecute the Philipine kids? Or the Vietnamese? We are not talking about fugitives or the like. Your argument has no legs to stand on.
willgrow up into a low socio-economic society, and just like in Europe clog schools, make long and expensive use of social services, and vote for Peres' lefties. Europe regrets giving strangers permanent status. Why don't we learn something from them? Just because Peres is smarter? I don't believe he is. If he is here long enough he will eat his hat.
Before you grant some rights you should grat the financial resources for them.
400 children will not affect the demographic aspect of the country. Their parents were let in legally and the children were born there. They should have the right to reside, despite anomalies with their paperwork. Israel should be the last country to treat small minorities in that way.
Listen to Shimon
you've got 400 anchorbabies there, we've got millions in america and we pay their parents to have more kids that will never assimilate and eventually will fill our prisons. peres is obviously flirting with senility, please sir deport these children israel's image is solid here for always doing the right thing
I have been, and continue to be, a lifelong Zionist. But it is extremely challenging to maintain one's support for Israel in the face of this inhumane decision. That we Jews, of all people, who have suffered over the centuries from expulsion should contemplate for one split second emulating Nazis and others fills me with shame. Israel's image in the world is already at a very low ebb - and now this? Are the politicians total idiots as well as insensitive bunglers. Is there any wonder why there is anti-Semitism. Please note that this is the first time I have gone 'public' in my criticism of Israel.
Lucky are we that we have a man like Shimon Peres!! The decision to deport those children, born here to people we should be grateful they are working at jobs Israelis could not and would not do, would be not just a disgrace but a SIN!! We Jews who were thrown out of lands throughout history should be the most understanding of all people in the world--that is the real meaning of Never Again!!
"DIversity is our strenght"
... duh! Faint glimmerings that just maybe there is some humanity left in that place, maybe some small understanding of what democracy and decency mean, maybe ... Next up, what are you going to say about the imported Moldovan prostitutes.
And this comment is coming from someone living in a country were illegals are treated SO well! I suggest you concentrate on criticizing your government's ongoing military campaigns in Afghanistan, the massive wall being built between the USA and Mexico, the fact that the US has five times the violence rate of both Israel and Palestine and then come back to comment!
Ruth, the fact is that children born in the US would not be illegals, and would not face deportation to a country they have never known. Whatever you may say about the US, you have to admit that it doesn't have racial purity laws like Israel
Yishai is applying the law. What Peres and Barak are asking is actually to not apply the law. Better would be to make less racist immigration laws INSTEAD OF APPROVING LAWS WHICH ARE THEN ARE REQUESTED NOT BE APPLIED:
Laws can be changed. It is really a shame for Israel if they deport these children. Never again is not exclusive for the Jews in the world, but for every human being.
barak/perez: keep on fighting for the kids !
this immense and foolish injustice... Yishai would shame us forever among the nations... rather import fewer 'slaves' to do-our-dirty-work... but do not punish them for having children...
Good comment Esther! It is important that Peres has finally spoken out about this obscene decision but it is a pity that it took him so long!
With Israelis like these who needs enemies?