Their crime ....? they are not jewish.
Hundreds of children of migrant workers in Israel are facing deportation, as part of a government effort to preserve the Jewish character of the state.
Under a stringent set of criteria approved by Israel’s cabinet, children must have studied in an Israeli school in the past year, and their parents must have entered Israel with a legal visa or permit for them to be allowed to stay.
But many Israelis have criticized the rules, arguing that any civilized democracy should give rights and protection to children born in its territory.
Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland reports from Tel Aviv.
VIA - pulsemedia.org
[Angry protests have taken place in Tel Aviv against the planned deportation of four hundred children of immigrant workers. Born in Israel and speaking Hebrew, the youngsters were never given citizenship because their parents are not Israeli or Jewish. Many people are questioning the government's drive to preserve what it calls 'the Jewish character of the state'.]
PM's wife asks Yishai to let foreign workers' kids stay
Channel 2 News reports Sara Netanyahu sent letter to interior minister requesting he come up with 'creative solutions' for 400 children slated for deportation, says, 'It's State of Israel's duty'
The prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu sent a letter to Interior Minister Eli Yishai, asking him to prevent the deportation of 400 migrant workers' children from Israel in accordance with the government's decision from early August, Channel 2 News reported on Friday.
According to the report, she discussed the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several times, until she reached the decision to expression her opinion.
"Dear Eli, I appeal to you as a mother of two young boys and a psychologist in the public service," Netanyahu wrote. "I am asking you, from the bottom of my heart, to use the authority granted to you by the government decision and allow the vast majority of the 400 remaining children to stay in Israel.
"It is the State of Israel's duty to find a solution for these children. I would like to believe that my calls have somewhat contributed to the prime minister's stance that some 800 out of the 1,200 children should stay… I am convinced that in this case as well you can find creative solutions for this group of foreign workers' children in the frame of the government decision and the authority bestowed on you by law as interior minister, and in a manner that will not affect the immigration policies and national interests of Israel as a Jewish state," the prime minister's wife added.
It should be noted that this is the second time Sara Netanyahu request the interior minister's intervention in a certain matter. In the past, Netanyahu requested the prime minister's assistance in helping Dan Goldberg and his twin children born of a surrogate mother in India enter to Israel after encountering bureaucratic difficulties. Benjamin Netanyahu responded to his wife's request and demanded Minister Yishai intervene.
At a heated debate held in Knesset this week on the decision to deport the 400 children, Yishai explained his position. "The moment the workers see the hypocrisy here they understand that the criterion is a 'baby visa'."
According to Yishai, there are thousands of children, and not just the estimated 1,200 – who are being hidden away in order to receive visas in the future. During the session a harsh exchange of words broke out between Yishai and MK Ilan Gilon (Meretz), who called him "racist and primitive".
Yishai responded by saying, "Their grandparents over there want to see them. What? Are you more merciful than me? An Education Ministry committee with legal representatives was established and made the decision to keep 800 and send the rest back to their countries of origin… No one is deporting children; everyone can clearly see that the parents are using their children. We must tell the kids the trip is over."
via ynetnews
Israel deporting hundreds of foreign worker's children
Foreign workers residing in Israel are continiously struggling for the right of their kids who are born in Israel for a long time.
After a hundreds of ralleys, campaigns and numbers of demonstrations and thousands of requests finally the cabinet ministers decided to give the legal status for 800 kids along with their parents.
But the clever Israeli government made very strict rules to get it. The critearias that a foreign worker's child should meet are as follows:
1) They should be good hebrew speaker.
2)They should have studied at least a complete year in the Israeli state school system.
3)They should be enlisted for the upcoming school session in grade one or above.
4)They should be five years or more and if they are not born in Israel they should have entered to Israel before the age of 13.
5) The parents of the children should have entered Israel on a valid visa.I\
Israel's new government is always bahaving rude to foreign workers and willing to deport the kids who are born in Israel, which is against the international laws and human right.
The kid who born in Israel, who speaks hebrew as thier mother tongue, studied in Israeli schools and they even dont know anything about Their parent's homeland, where should they go? There are very high numbers of children they are below the of five years or they simply can't meet the required criterias ruled by the government mentioned above.
Though 800 kids and their parents are supposed to get the citizenship by this new rule but the struggle to get the right to be legal in their birthland will continue....
A foreign worker killed
I felt so sad hearing a news that one of a foreign worker from thailand working Israel, has been killed after a rocket fired from the gaza strips southern Israel.
It was in the Netiv Ha'assera,kibbutz(village of Israel),few miles far from the gaza border.He was working in the field, suddenly palestianian's rocket struck and with no reason a foreign worker lost his life.
The more sad news was that, in responce to the rocket fire, Israeli aircraft started to target in the Gaza strip again. Everyone knows, attack against attack is not the solution, but this is Israel's way & which is causing the long term problem in middle east.
Krishna Thapa
Hamossad fashion
Whole world's media is focused on it and discussing whether Israel is involved or not.Hamas has accused Israel and also vowed revenge.
Who killed hamas commander?
After the mysterious murder of senior commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in Dubai hotel, by European squad . Some unanswered questions raised, who is behind all this? Is really Israeli Intelligence force with a fake passport from Europe, involved in this case?
What are media saying? here is a report just liked to share it..
Foreign farm workers treated harshly
"The aggressive way agricultural employers push to receive more workers is the same aggressive way they behave toward their employees: withholding pay, failure to pay the minimum wage, and forcing workers to work with dangerous pesticides," Kav LaOved manager Hanah Zohar said.Authorities must act against exploitative employees, including revoking work permits for employers who violate labor laws, Zohar said.
She also called for greater education of workers about their rights, and for law enforcement authorities to set up a hotline for worker complaints.
By BEN HARTMAN
jerusalem post
The story of a migrant worker
(N. from Nepal was employed with meager wages; he was exploited, humiliated and then thrown in jail. This is the story of migrant workers in Israel, people who are used as tools for quick profit.)One can charge exorbitant amounts of money from workers simply for bringing them over. Basic rights to family life and childbirth are denied. It is legitimate to “bind” workers to their employers, and rarely would the authorities come to enforce or check the conditions in which workers are employed.
These issues have been discussed many times in the media, and I estimate that the public is aware of the large scale of exploitation and humiliation. But what happens when a worker tries to find out what his rights by law are and demand them? The worker is detained! That’s what happened to N., a worker from Nepal who was detained by the Oz unit.
During the trial the visa expired
After five years of working in Israel, N. decided to find out what his rights were and approached Kav LaOved. The investigation revealed that his employer imposed even more disgraceful conditions than common: workers received wages much lower than the minimum and the right for days off and holidays was denied. Frequently workers were forced to work dozens of consecutive days, more than 16 hours a day. Some were fined when they were five minutes late to work, and the hands of one worker were seriously hurt as a result of overexposure to chemical substances.
Immediately after collecting N.’s testimony and the documents in his possession, Kav LaOved decided to take N.’s case to court. But during the few weeks that it usually takes to file a case, N.’s visa expired. From that point, the way to the Ramle jail was short.
While in custody, N. presented to the Oz unit inspectors a letter from Kav LaOved, clearly stating that the organization was representing him in legal proceeding against his employer, for which he should remain in Israel a few more weeks. The inspectors were probably inspired by Tsiki Sela, the commanding officer at the time, who believed that organizations providing aid to migrant workers were interested in the destruction of Israel. With much “sensitivity and compassion”, they carried N. in the detainee’s van. Now he is waiting in his cell for the Court decision on whether he can be released on bail.
Years of disgraceful abuse and exploitation
Four months ago, following a complaint by Kav LaOved, the economic unit of the immigration police started an investigation against N.’s employer. Within a month, charges of exploitation and fraud were made against the company owners.
But this is of no concern to the Israeli Minister of Interior Affairs, the Oz commander or inspectors. From their point of view, N.’s stay in Israel is illegal, because his visa expired two weeks ago. What about his rights to severance pay, fair wages for years of hard labor, denied days off and holidays and other social benefits denied him during all those years? How can a person exercise his legal right to sue his employer for years of disgraceful exploitation under the threat of detention and deportation? Minister Eli Yishay may has the answer.
When I heard about N.’s arrest, I recalled my trip to Nepal ten years ago, and how enthusiastic I was about the hikes I took there, the views, the excellent food – but mainly about the generous and smiling people. In contrast, it will be interesting to see what N. will have to tell his family and friends about Israel and its citizens, after his many years of exploitation and humiliation.
by: Tom Mehager, nrg
Tom Mahager is Coordinator of migrant farm workers project in Kav LaOved.
