I agree with the premise, but Mr. Haber's reasons are all wrong. Expelling these children is inhumane. It is not what the Jewish people should do as human beings. We are a "light unto the nations"? Not when we expel children!

You are alienating your supporters, now do the right thing and reconsider.

If Mr Haber wants to keep these 400 illegal immigrants in Israel he can adopt them and pay for their upkeep until they are old enough to do menial work. Personally I would expel all illegal immigrants from Israel regardless of their age. Israel is a Jewish state for Jewish people period -- it is not a wet nurse for immigrants from failed African countries.

It would be humorous if it wasn't so sad. Stop being afraid of the "world community" and start worrying about your own country. It's the fault of the parents for playing their children like this, and frankly, those who get to stay are extremely lucky. In the US they would be deported (children would get citizenship at 18). If Israel allowed them to stay it would set a precedent, this was a line in the sand. And may I point out, it's not nearly enough. There are African migrants streaming through Egypt in the thousands. Just today a Sudanese "refugee" was convicted of murder. Blame the right people, the parents who shamelessly use their children as shields. And comparing them to the Vietnamese "boat people" is disgusting. Their lives aren't on the line (money on the other hand...).

finally somebody who seems to see things a bit more differentiated than most commentators on ynet.. good start! still, i would never ache for begin. he has been involved in terrorism and has not achieved anything for peace..

more senseless is to accept and encourage illegal immigration. Israel is a tiny country with limited resources. And I'm sick of this faint heartedness about "what the world will think". Sometimes you have to say the hell with what the world thinks and take care of your own interests.

Don't worry Haber about world opinion, there are many people including many Jews who do not like Israelis like yourselves, because of your double false standards. First off all you and Ynet keep on using the false term "Foreign workers" while they are Illegals who should have been deported a long time ago. But because these Illegals fit right in with the Atheist Anarchist world vision that rules you, they have become yet another false moral cause. So keep on pretending that the world will accept you when there is no Jewishness left over in Israel and you have destroyed our inheritance. Keep on persecuting Rabbis , Haredim and settlers and for sure you will end up the most popular kid on the bloc, once again a pathetic defeatist Israeli, who is confused and scared of his own shadow.

Should've kicked them all out. I completely don't understand the author who makes living by trying to destroy his motherland, be it via the Oslo Accords or by defending illegals.

...would be to "Grandfather in ALL 1,200 of these kids and establish a firm, clearly published date certain for complying with unequivical and understandable mandatory requirements for the citizenship or continued residence of children of LEGAL foreign workers. ALL Ileagal foreigh workers and their progeny should be sent out, with an individual of ministerial authority having to individually sign off on any exception, and justify such relaxation to the public. That would be a generlly win/win situation, with only the most rabid anti-Israel haters gaining any breathing space or solace.

Sarah you are well known here as prejudiced, but just some food for thought for you... In the 1930s it was the Jews of Europe looking for a refuge...

Pehaps it's time the U.S. and Canada expelled all the Israelis and their children who are working illegally and are only interested in the fast buck. What would we do with those tens of thousands of yordim who don't want to come back but are finally thrown out overnight.? I prefer the African children.

What concerns you more?! the children or "Israel’s" global image ?!!!!!!!!! In this article, there's very little difference between you Eitan Haber and the cabinet of "Israel " :(

What is your point? After the 1930’s Jews founded their own country in the empty land of Palestine, our rightful and eternal home, we clearer the swamps and turned deserts into green fields. Once we reclaimed the land the migrant Arabs swarmed in and started killing Jews which started the Israeli-Arab conflict. The Arabs were duly vanquished by the might of the brave Israeli army and have been whinging like babies ever since. This is OUR country, our Jewish country, and we don’t have to share it with anyone least of all some African kids who will only grow up to become leeches and suck the money from the Israeli coffers. Send them back packing to Africa and let them wallow in their own failed two-bit countries. We don’t owe them a shekel or any of our sympathy -- if you pity these kids you adopt them and YOU pay for them.

Well put, these immigrants contribute nothing to the state yet expect to be given free food and board -- they are almost as bad as the Haredim.

all 1200 children and their parents should have been sent back to their countries of origin. these people aren't political refugees they are ECONOMIC IMMIGRANTS looking for the good life far away from their native countries. We are not a land for ECONOMIC IMMIGRANTS we are the HOMELAND OF THE JEWS!

I really can not understand anything Israel is doing lately. Some of the decisions comeing out of the government is troublesome. Why not grandfather all the children but restrict future illegals, this makes much more sense, I will never criticize Israel as I am living in Canada which is safe and quite right now, however to allow able bodied men and women to by pass the armed forces because of relegious studies and paying them at the same time to stay at home is wrong. The founding fathers made two mistakes, porportionate represenatation and exclusion of the religous from armed services was a big mistake and is hurting the country.

These 400 kids will grow up to be be great citiziens,contributing to the economy of Israel, many will join the army. and in general they will be an assett. On the other hand Sara y am prepared to contribute to send to the USA 400 haredim children who will grow up to nothing, not work, no army, nothing...except get handouts from the government, make a huge amount of children who will in turn do nothing... Give me your address and I will arrange for the haredim to be sent to you, and I will keep the 400 "illegal inmigrants" that actually where born in Israel !!!!!

Salma my dear, what are you smocking lately??. do us all a favour, stop smocking and explain what you want or.. keep smocking....

How many thousands of refugee camps are there around the world? Israel wants to deport a small fraction of people who are here illegally and we have to worry about our image? Only Israel is not allowed to enforce immigration laws? If it was up to me I would trow them all out. They are economic refugees.

Which world? Not the despots, right? Not the religious fanatics, right? Not the EU who would love to do the same but are scared stiff? Not the Nato countries who commit "war crimes" in Afghanistan - what world are you talking about Haber?

Illegal immigration should be allowed in Israel. Law should be ignored. After all what will the Iranians think of us if we expel people who live here illegally? What are we? a democracy? PffffffffT!

Maybe Israel should do what the State of Georgia did in 2006: Make it so hard on the employers etc. of Illegals, that cheap labor and the usual freebies aren't worth it, anymore. It doesn't solve all the problems, but there was a mass exodus to other States by Georgia Illegals almost overnight. I found out the hard way, how well parts of the law work, when I tried to enroll in a Georgia State University. The "fun" started, when my birth certificate was merely a translation of the original and Washington couldn't match it or my Social Security # to my citizenship certificate. I'm 72 years old, have been in the US for 50+ years, a citizen for 45+ years and have been paying taxes from day 1. Before it was all over, I had to furnish copies and certified translations of so many pieces of paper, passport and tax filings included, I have a folder 2 inches thick that, hopefully, declares me forever “legal.” To add insult to injury and since I've never been sick enough to need a physician, I couldn't be “traced” that way, either, and had to be immunized. I didn't have the heart to ask, if that's to keep me from being infected by the locals with who knows what dread disease, or make sure that the locals won't catch rabies, if I bite them. I'll admit that I got major pissed a few times and probably spent more time going from one office to another than I'll live long enough to spend in school, but this old lady has beaten the bureaucratic paper monster. Classes will start 8-18-10, and I will be in one of them. I might even smack the first person, who laughs, because I talk “funny.” OK, since I do, maybe I'll just thank and confuse them.

A STATE BUILT FROM FROM THE ASHES OF THE JEWISH HOLOCAUST MUST SHOW EMPATHY TO THE GENTILES WHO CAME HERE IN PEACE TO LABOR FOR ISRAEL DESPITE THREATS DANGERS TERROR AND HATE.

I totally agree with Linishka. Does the US care what the world thinks? Does Russia? Does Egypt (which mercilessy shoots down the "refugees"? Only Israel does not get it - the word will think badly of us whatever we do - oh, except when we're victims. Wake up, Israel!

obsession with israel's image stupid only when israel defends itself does its' image' improve--nobody likes victims--remember the last i800 yrs? except world liked holocaust and wants another--you cannot appease

With the recent uproar that has gripped the US' Arizona Law (which only calls for enforcing the current laws we have on our books) and Israel's 250,000 illegal immigrants in a country of only 7.5 million people (which includes Israeli Arabs, Christians and Jews). Eitan Haber suffers from the same delusion as the Left in America. He believes that laws and a nation's sovereignty can be cast aside or shredded if you come to our shores in ever greater numbers and overwhelm us. We'll give you amnesty and gut ourselves demographically. People like Haber are more concerned about their perception in the West than doing the right thing and upholding the law. I hate to break it to you, but Israel and the Jewish people are going to hated either way. The world wants to rid itself of the everlasting 'Jewish Problem' and Israel must do everything to preserve and stay true to its Zionist roots and dream of a 'Jewish State'. Israel is not a UN refugee camp where people like Begin bring Vietnamese refugees or refugees other than Jewish refugees. The world's resources are limited and are getting depleted faster with each passing year and here we have Mr. Haber wanting to reward the criminals who have entered Israel 'illegally' and who are violating their original contract of getting back after their work was done in Israel. I strongly believe that the 250,000 should be kicked out along with the 800 that were given refuge this past week. The Jews in Israel truly have a herculean task in terms of preserving the Jewish people. The Jews in America are assimilated and are products of intermarriage, what will happen to Israel 10 years down the line with the Arab birthrate in Israel exploding along the 250,000 which would have exploded as well. Modern secular Israeli Jews don't have babies like the Arabs or the Africans or the Filipino's. Wake up and give 'em the boot!

The enlightened nations of Europe would have expelled all the children and noone would have cared (or for that matter heard about it)... Children born in EU countries to EU citizens who choose to emigrate have a hard time regaining their citizenship once they take on a different nationality, and those whose ancestors suffered the colonial yoke for centuries can barely get a visa to visit relatives. So why should these children of foreign workers on a temporary visa get Israeli citizenship? The U.S. would have given those born in the U.S. citizenship, but for lack of work, their parents would have taken these "Americans" abroad just the same.