Yishai skips Knesset meet on migrant workers, citing attendance of two kids

Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) canceled an appearance at a Knesset committee yesterday, after finding out two migrant worker children would be in attendance.

Yishai is a strong supporter of deporting illegal migrant workers, including their 1,200 children and their families. He said he didn't attend the joint session of the subcommittee on the trafficking of women and the committee to investigate the situation of migrant workers, because of "an attempt to turn the session into theater and the attempted provocation."

Some of those who attended the meeting harshly criticized Yishai's decision to abscond. MK Haim Oron (Meretz) said, "Eli Yishai's norms of conduct must not be allowed to become the norms of the state."

Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz said Yishai's move was "ludicrous and regrettable. The interior minister obviously can't look those two children in the eye."

MK Orit Zuaretz (Kadima), who chaired the session, said she wasn't aware children were planning to attend, but regretted the minister's decision "not to come to explain policy on the crucial issue of trafficking of women, a matter directly related to the foreign workers question."

The children were visiting the Knesset as part of an emergency session, attended by some of the aid organizations. The session was proposed by Horowitz.

A bill was proposed by MKs Dov Khenin (Hadash), Danny Danon (Likud) and Horowitz, prohibiting imprisonment and deportation of migrant workers' children.

MK Zuaretz later broke out crying, saying, "In Israel of 2009 ... workers are exploited, living in inhuman conditions. Israel must not allow it, and humanitarian asylum must be granted to the workers and their children. Israel must form a clear policy once and for all."

After the session, Shas Whip MK Avraham Michaeli filed a complaint against Horowitz.