Peres laments 'shameful' policy toward non-Jewish immigrants

Most people agree that the numerus clausus which limited the number of Jews who could get various positions was religious discrimination, and therefore wrong. Why is a numerus clausus which limits the number of gentiles eligible any less discriminatory and any less wrong?

The law of return for all jews clearly defining who the state defines as a jew & eligable. Immigration for non jews based on a cap system where there is an annual limit on the number of non jews taken in and that should be based on a national needs policy. If we are short of doctors then a doctor who wants to come to Israel will be given priority above somebody unskilled. That way we get the people we need most of all but there are some slots avalible for the people that the country doesn't have a national need for. The priority though should be to kick out all the foreign labourers now and the palestinians and start getting Israelis working. If a jew thinks he is to good to work on a construction site for low pay but is good enough to receive welfare money from the state then we need to say you find work or we will try find it for you and if you refuse to accept a job we find then we will cut your welfare. You work we give you income top ups if you have trouble making ends meet.

I came here on business from the UK 10 years ago, met a great Israeli woman and that's about it.. Married & visiting Misrad Hapnim for 7 years. If you are telling me you've had the run-around from Misrad Hapnim for 16 years then I had better warn my wife as she has had enough already. 4 kids, permanent job etc.. isn't enough. It's funny, if we divorced then I would probably get residency quicker (!)... I'm not Jewish but my kids are and I am happy that way and this is where we belong.. I love the place, I just need to put the descrimination behind me sometimes and regard it as a nuicance. Despite the problems of living here I wouldn't choose any other place to live....

Married 16 years! maybe we should form a club.

I wonder. Seems no one could study Torah except at home. Perhaps they became gentile by lack of knowledge?

"The paper's authors told Peres that Israel is the only Western country that has not yet formulated immigration policie..." Well, that's because Israel is not a Western country. Does the writer need a map ?

Bob...the truth is that israel treats everyone who is not wealthy like crap...jews and non jews

when the country is decadent atleast the current president redeems us somewhat by calling attention to our moral failures. last week it was the racism against ethiopans. this week, the shoddy inhumane treatment of foreigners in our midst. more power to shimon peres for speaking out and taking moral stands while his predecessor is in the dock with a slew of women testifying against him. thank god for the change, at last we have someone in the office we can be proud of. . bibi doesn't do his job, so someone has to take moral authority for a backsliding nation. amen.

He should not be. The Israeli government should be granting him permanent residency and citizenship. This is crazy.

It depends what israel decide what kind of immigrant policy it wants. if its a possitive desecion, good to remember is that there are over 2 milion african refugees in egypt and more and more arrive in to israel each day so israel must make it move!!

Well my wife is Jewish and so are all my kids (if that makes any difference). They have a Jewish Secular upbringing. Every annual visit to the misrad hapnim results in another dissapointment. Mu oldest was born in Israel and is more than 5 years old so you can work out the math for yourself how long this has been going on.

Even with a comprehensive immigration policy in place for Non-Jewish immigrants, it would be very difficult for Non Jews to immigrate to Israel unless they are married to Israeli citizens.

After being married for nearly 9 years and having 4 kids, and still no permanent residency rights (need yearly visit to Misrad Hapnim) I think I know more about this than most.

Shimon Peres is turning out to be an 'activistic' president who regularly gives his opinion on policymaking. When he was in the Knesset he could've made proposals for such new policies, but he didn't as far as I know. Anyway, Israeli immigration policy is covered in the Chok ha Shuv, the Law of Return for Jewish people. This policy seems to be not strict enough judging the amount of non-jewish Russians who slipped through the net in the nineties. Before that it was only a trickle that could be dealt with on an individual basis. What could be added is a special category of non- jewish 'refugees'(political rather than economical) but that is a difficult area in Western countries also. But formulating that new policy is the premier's job and the cabinet's, not the president's.