News
Steinitz advisor equates Russian olim with infiltrators
Ynet reporters
Published: 26.12.10, 12:49
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
18 Talkbacks for this article
1. and because they are white
JL   (12.26.10)
the state gave them everything...if the state took care of its citizens...we would not be a dump like we have become...
2. Exagerated? At least own your predjudice.
Jew ,   Israel   (12.26.10)
I've been listening to the sound bite of the actual comments over the radio today. Steinitz's comments were every bit as offensive as they are being presented. He suggested that legally residing citizens who arrived under Right of Return were no more than money hungry opportunists with no connection to the state. It was even pointed out to Steinitz that in places like Germany, Russian immigrants were offered x7 the benefits of what exists in Israel. He said, send the Russians to Germany. If you're going to openly hate members of your own society while being a representative of them, at least own your "mistake" and apologize. Backtracking makes you look like an even bigger horses behind.
3. Convert entire Africa.
Tejas ,   India   (12.26.10)
Convert the entire Africa, if not possible convert at least 5 to 6 million Africans in fast track conversion process and bring them to Israel. I want to see exactly what will happens to Israel.
4. 1#, Nonsense
Judah ,   Golan Heights,ISRAEL   (12.26.10)
Most Israelis do not want thousands of Africans illegally entering Israel. Most Israelis would not want thousands of Mexicans or Finns entering Israel illegally either. The "Russian" immigrants that came in the 1970's and 1980's were almost all Jewish. The ones that came from 1990 to 2010 are 70% Jewish. 10% of the "non Jewish" ones have a Jewish father. The Russian immigrants serve and sometimes die in the Israeli army. They represent some of our top scientists. I can also tell you as a Doctor in Northern Israel that most of my colleagues in the Kupot Holim are Russian immigrants Doctors and without them there would be a real shortage To compare Russian immigrants with thses Illegal mostly Muslim Africans entering Israel is ridiculous!
5. wow!
(12.26.10)
but still there is a great deal of truth to his words at least 50% of all Russians and FSU people who arrived after 1985 are goyim! So really he does have a point!
6. just convert africans is an idiot solution
zionist forever   (12.26.10)
Yes half the Russians were not jewish & they came for financial reasons and it was a mistake to allow it to happen. Just because we made a mistake once doesn't mean we should repeat it just because another batch of people are coming looking for the good life because its easier to just let them come rather than try stop it. Conversion is also not just like taking a test where we just say your not jewish, you want to come to Israel no problem just convert. It makes a mockery of the whole concept of a jewish state and Judaism itself. We need two systems 1) Real jews who are jewish by birth or anybody who wants to undergo a full Halachic conversion giving them rights under the Law of Return. 2) Non jewish individuals who do not pretend to be anything else. They apply legally if we want them then we say yes and there is no need to undergo a Micky Mouse conversion. We should not though say well the Russians came here for economic reasons so lets solve the African problem same way so we don't have to spend money on building fences and detention centres.
7. Stupid comments!
Yakov ,   Tel Aviv   (12.26.10)
Not part of the Jewish community? By what definition? They work, serve in the army, pay taxes and buy goods in Israeli stores. How is this not part of the community, in the Jewish state of Israel? Move here for financial reasons? You bet, and is that wrong? These people suffered extensively and for years, both as Jews and citizens. They have benefited from moving here, and Israel has benefited from the move as well. So, what is the issue?
8. To 2# they weren't steinitz's comments
jason ,   haifa israel   (12.26.10)
IT was some advisor and the finance ministry has loads of advisors and this advisor won't be doing any more advising.
9. it is really sad to hear
Michael   (12.26.10)
these comments about russians or americans are too idealistic or other comments regarding Ethopian aliyah. When will these stupid and thoughtless comments stop comming from the elitists?! Is this what secular democracy all about ? Democracy and tolerance go hand nd hand.
10. True
Jew ,   Israel   (12.26.10)
Probably half of the Russian immigrants are not Jewish. You should have visited me during Chanuka. All of my neighbors are Russian and we were the only family with a menorah in our window. For this we made aliyah? And the worst thing is that the non-Jewish Russians are still coming here, all because the Jewish Agency workers in Russia will do anything to keep their jobs.
11. 7
zionist forever   (12.26.10)
The bulk of these people have no qualifications, no money to invest in the economy. All they are good for is cheap manual labor. Their children take up school places meaning things have to stretch further to absorb the children of the illegals. I don't know if your a parent but if you are how will you feel when your child class size increases & their school has less money to spend because they are absorbing the children of all these illegals who are in Israel because they want the good life? Are you willing to pay extra taxes so we can pay for the illegals? These people are not coming in limited numbers, they just keep coming and allowing them to stay encourages more illegals to come from around the third world. It erodes the jewish majority, remember Israel has a small population and an even smaller jewish majority. We do not owe everybody in the third world looking for the good life homes or jobs. They are here because they want to improve their quality of life nothing more and it is done at the expense of ordiinary Israelis.
12. "solely for financial reasons." ????
Jeff ,   Maccabim, Israel   (12.26.10)
And maybe Netanyahu is Prime Minister "solely for financial reasons." and Olmert? and Hirshson??? So What!
13. What about all the elderly olim?
jason white ,   afula,israel   (12.26.10)
They are a burden on the state like the hara-dim. Enough with the alyah of the elderly, unless they have the financial sources to live without the state paying. No work=No pension or welfare. As for the agents of the Jewish Agency, they send people here that never saw a Jew before in their lives. Or they send Jews here, but they have to go to a yeshiva affiliated with one rabbi or another. I met both kinds of olim here. Israel has to look to the west for alyah and should be easy to check if someone is Jewish.
14. 10#, Come to the Golan
Judah ,   Golan Heights,ISRAEL   (12.26.10)
My Russian neighbours lit Channukah candles and do not have a Christmas tree. The only Christmas tree is in the house of my S.L.A.(Ex Southen Lebanese Christian Army)neighbour. It is true that 50% of the 2010 Russian immigrants are not Jews but from 1970 to 2010 70% Are Jews.
15. Can anyone explain how such fool
tanya ,   tel aviv israel   (12.26.10)
is an adviser to FM?
16. Some information about Russian olim.
Jules   (12.27.10)
Many people might probably disagree with my point of view, but I had thought the latter could be a useful contribution to the discussion. The "Russians" in Israel (allow me to call such those who's native language is Russian, regardless of the percentage of the Jewish blood) comprise about 18% of the population, but their contribution to the society is much higher: 30% or even more in the medical profession, IDF and hi-tech. If all of them somehow (hypothetically) "disappear" tomorrow, the country may experience a humanitarian catastrophe. Regarding the elderly olim: aren't the ultraortodox a much higher burden on the economy, despite the fact that they are 100% Jewish ? Finally, regarding the Christmas trees. The Russian orthodox Christmas is celebrated two weeks after the Western one; so what you see in your neighbours' dwellings are not Christmas trees, but so-called "New Year fur trees", because that's the way the New Year's Eve was celebrated in the Soviet Union. There is no relation to the Christianity as such in those trees.
17. Jules, you are correct
Inna ,   USA   (12.27.10)
As a former citizen of SU, I can assure you that the tree with ornaments was a New Year celebration tradition, nothing to do with Christmas. I was very upset to hear such nesty comments about "Russian Jews". All of my relatives and friends who made Aliya are true patriots of the newly found homeland. It hurts to hear such unjustified accusations.
18. #13
drouch   (12.29.10)
1. Can you tell people to abandon their elderly parents? ...A very Jewish thing to do Jason! 2. West for Aliyah.. Let see, will they abandon their social status and prosperity to come to Israel. I don't think so.... 3. BTW what is the assimilation rate in so called West? I bet is higher than among Russians!
Back to article