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Photo: Nefesh B'Nefesh
A warm welcome?
Photo: Nefesh B'Nefesh

Immigrant hotline swamped with calls

Hundreds of newcomers contact recently opened call center to complain of racism and discrimination

TEL AVIV - An experimental immigrant hotline opened about week ago has already received about 200 complaints from newcomers who say they encountered serious cases of racism and discrimination.

 

A random sample of the complaints seems to indicate that unfortunately, the old adage “Israel loves immigration but hates immigrants” is still alive and kicking.

 

'A stinking immigrant'

 

An immigrant names Olga, for example, complained that two police officers beat and cursed her after she arrived at the police station to file a report about a stolen bag.

 

The officers also told her she is a “stinking immigrant,” she says.

 

In another case, a disabled man told call center attendants his disability allowance was suspended, and an official told him to “go back to Russia, maybe they will give you disability pay there.”

 

Michel, who came to Israel from Brazil in 2002, said a supermarket cashier yelled at him after his credit card transaction was not approved due to an apparent technical problem.

 

Another employee accused him of stealing the card, and when he protested, the employee punched him in the stomach, he says.

 

“Luckily, the supermarket’s security guard stopped him,” Michel said. “Ever since then I don’t shop in that chain.”

 

Moreover, he said he complained about the incident long months ago, but only received an apology this week, after filing his complaint with the new hotline.

 

'Many immigrants learn to hate the country'

 

Many new arrivals choose to leave the country because of the racist attitude displayed by veteran Israelis, Michel says.

 

“At the immigration absorption center I met many new immigrants who learned to hate the country and ran away from here when they could,” he said. “I’m Zionist and I love the country, and it’s not good to be a Jew in Brazil today, but what happened to me is only one incident out of thousands that attest to the unbearable situation of immigrants.”

 

The Immigration Absorption Ministry says that as a result of the flurry of reports, the hotline would be manned regularly in all languages between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and only in Hebrew and Russian at other times.

 

The ministry pledged to look into every complaint and provide an adequate legal response when appropriate.

 

The hotline’s number is 1255081010

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.25.05, 13:49
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