Stripped of social belonging (Illustration photo)
Goodbye, Megumi
Yaniv Golan writes about Japanese-born friend kicked out of Israel because she isn’t Jewish
Last week we gathered on the lawn outside the kibbutz dining hall. There were about 30 of us, both children and adults. We were there for a group photo as we bid a dear friend farewell.
Japanese-born Megumi was part of our southern community for about a decade, on and off, and was even received as a kibbutz member. The thing is, Megumi is not Jewish, and after breaking up with her partner (who is among the most veteran figures at the kibbutz,) she also lost her status as a temporary resident in Israel.
And so what if she chose to live here with us, and so what if her Hebrew is amazing: Within a few days, Megumi was stripped off that invisible gown of personal safety and social belonging and was forced to urgently leave the country. All the efforts to offer help and convince officials to change the decision were to no avail.
Paradoxically, had she hailed from a distressed country, Megumi would have a chance to continue living among the people who love her. In practice, she sunk into a status that is inferior to that of a Sudanese refugee who infiltrated the country last night.
Last week, we visited friends in an Upper Galilee kibbutz. I told our host about the affair, and he commented that in his view the collapse of the kibbutzim started after the foreign volunteers left. He said these people brought diverse information from their home countries that inspired the flexibility and openness that characterized the Kibbutz Movement in the 1970s.
Stewing in our own juices
The Immigrant Absorption Ministry estimated two years ago that the number of Israelis who left to other countries has reached 700,000. If tomorrow the governments of Australia, Japan, Canada and the United States would agree to send all the Israelis back home, we would view it as an intolerable display of anti-Semitism and unfairness. We have the right to live wherever we wish, but around here people are only accepted if they’re circumcised.Nonetheless, there are thousands of non-Jews living amongst us and integrating into Israeli society. In the kibbutzim alone, there are many hundreds of them. However, the rules have changed: The Interior Ministry, which is becoming increasingly ultra-Orthodox, closed all the gaps.
If we put aside the great flexibility in granting citizenship to superstars in the world of sports, we’ll discover that from now on there are mostly Jews and Muslims here (and a few Christians), stewing in our own juices. Just let us devour each other, without feeling that foreign eyes are watching us.
So goodbye, Megumi. I believe that eventually we shall embrace you with open arms. I hope this day is near, for your sake, and mostly for our sake.
