Opinion
Xenophobia in Tel Aviv
Daniel Feldman
Published: 27.05.12, 10:17
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31. conflict resaerch management;resulution
miriam ,   israel   (05.27.12)
you want a MA dont forget that you are the same like them.try to solve the problem according to your feature MA.so far you faild.no resaerch no management and no solution.just a facking jew blamming his people
32. Bad analogy
Alex   (05.27.12)
You can't compare to Europe in the past, Jews were not luck seekers without a nation in Europe. These Africans have their own nations, and the reason for the majority to come to Israel is money. Why else do you think they'd pass Egypt and head for Israel instead. If they'd been actual refugees they'd have stayed in Egypt...
33. Last nite I heard SWISS say there are too many GERMANS in
Alan ,   SA   (05.27.12)
their country... They dont want so many there ... IT WAS ON BBC WORLD SERVICE!!!!
34. @ #8 Sarah B -Singular flaw indeed
Nogodnik   (05.27.12)
Obviously the UN has responsibilities to refugees, but just as certainly, individual host countries also have legally defined obligations towards refugees. If there is a "singular flaw" anywhere, it is your omission of this fact. Anyway, what about the fundamental Jewish injunction to love the stranger? One cannot demonstrate such a singular lack of integrity and then turn around and claim the moral leadership of humanity. That's just insulting.
35. Hypocrisy reigns the day
deborah lurya ,   irvine ca   (05.27.12)
your argument makes no sense. Israel is a tiny country, a Jewish nation as established in 48 with world approval, we are not the EU,we are no bigger than the state of New Jersey. We are 7 million in Israel. We are a jewish nation because we are at risk of being exterminated repeatedly by our enemies. At the time of the inception of the state, the UN, the civilized world agreed. Let Egypt deal with them, they are blood brothers, Africans and they owe it to help them, besides they have plenty of room- it s a big country. Besides, Egypt is responsible for this problem- they did not do their job in Sinai. next time we take it, we should not give back, remembering what we have now- a muslim onslaught
36. I bet you $$ he does not live in S. Tel Aviv
Rachel ,   US   (05.27.12)
37. Racism
A Jerusalemite ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (05.27.12)
Racism it is to our predicament. Riots are not unknown in South Tel Aviv, due to lack of education and governmental help. The vast majority of the African migrants are blameless. They are suffering. For those that have chosen Israel to attempt to better their lives it is our duty to find a solution that is best for them and for ourselves. Remember that that it was US, the Jewish people, moving from country to country not so long ago seeking a place that would let us live in peace.
38. What a Shame
Haider ,   Gothenburg, Sweden   (05.27.12)
I don´t understand this. Most of you Israelis, except for the Arabs, are immigrants escaping something or following some dream. Why can´t you accept others with darker skin when doing the same?
39. Stop demagogics, please.
Oriol ,   Barcelona, Catalonia   (05.27.12)
Many Israelis who live in South Tel Aviv seem to be against the pogromists, and you live in Amsterdam, anyway.
40. Feldman's mental state
Phil ,   Mount Laurel, US   (05.27.12)
If this person regards the natural outrage against the hordes of rapists and robbers unleashed on the population of Tel Aviv as xenophobia he obviously needs to see a psychiatrist
41. Isn't Zionism
Jarda ,   Czech Republic   (05.27.12)
exactly the "old time Europe nationalism"?
42. #23 Where are they Going and When
Netanya ,   Netanya   (05.27.12)
What you are saying is the same thing said about loads of immigrants to USA who to this day, 60+ yr later stay and they will never leave!! Do you think if tomorrow Castro dies and Cuba turns into a democracy Miami will go back to being an English speaking city? NOOOO When loads of people come from other nations, have kids and get economically into the life, they don't leave. The only way these people will leave is if their countries find so much oil that they will all be millionaires as soon as they step off the plane that returns them to their countries. Don't you know the Russians came to Israel on this same principle and most are still here today! These are MUSLIMS (taught to murder jew by the Koran) and it will just be a matter of time before they start doing it. Do you want to wait till that happens, when there will be too many of them for us to do anything?
43. They are not immigrants
PCNetdoc ,   Israel   (05.27.12)
Call them by what they really are: infiltrators. They are illegal aliens who have been smuggled into Israel. They could afford to pay smugglers thousands of dollats to bring them here they can afford to stay in their own countries.
44. ISRAEL HAS LIMITED RESOURCES
DA URBAN POET ,   SAFED OPERA HOUSE   (05.27.12)
I do genuinely feel very soory for these poor unfortunate migrants but Israel does not have unlimited resources to cope with large numbers of migrants .Another problem is they have largely entered the country illegally. At the same time ,they should be treated with compassion .
45. Racism is destructive
Bertram ,   London, UK   (05.27.12)
The question is, therefore why are we even discussing it? The answer is because we are all stained by racism, which incidentally has nothing to do with skin colour and everything to do with stereotyping an entire category of people - real or imagined. When individual Jews are disproportionately involved in financial crime does that justify the labeling of the entire Jewish people as money-grubbing? We know the answer. And let us not forget that historically different Jewish groups have exhibited racist attitudes and behaviour towards each other e.g Germans towards East Europeans, Ashkenazim towards Sephardim (and vice versa). We have to stop this dangerous, ignorant behaviour before it destroys our very being.
46. Israel must not try to provide refuge to the world.
Chaim ,   Israel   (05.27.12)
Feldman provides an excellent example of the pathetic quality of what passes for thinking in the Israeli left. There is nothing racist about deporting illegal aliens, no matter what their race. Israel can't and must not try to provide refuge to the world. This is our sole Jewish Homeland. It is a very tiny land and we must do whatever is required to assure Israel's welfare. Period.
47. Eugene #14 not exactly the truth
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (05.27.12)
Add 100% to their crime rate then the rest makes sense. Every single one of them is a criminal. What part of illegal signifies that they have any right to be here to you? So they start out as criminals and then commit more crimes. Deport them all back to their own countries we have enough Israeli criminals that we really don't need to import them too.
48. ישר כוח
Dudi Kagal ,   Israel   (05.27.12)
מר פלדמן מדבר דברי אמת. אנחנו צריכים להקשיב לו לפני המדינה שלנו מאבדת את הנשמה שלה.
49. migrants
Mike ,   Israel   (05.27.12)
hello! stop ignoring the issue, these, migrants are taking Jobs away from Jews in Israel, raping our women, stealing, causing apartment prices to rise, causing crime, they should be kicked it now! Israel owes them nothing! They are just as bad as arabs, both should go!
50. #45. Sudan was under British rule
Tom W ,   USA   (05.27.12)
Instead of forcing your convoluted ideas on Israel, you'd better insist on taking ALL Sudanese refugees back to their old "motherland". Jews have nothing to do with the African mess which is the sole creation of your Sharia-UK. Care to elucidate us on your inane conniption according which various Jewish groups belong to "different races". ("racist attitudes???") Rejecting your foggy ideas by us does it mean "racism"?
51. Progrom are you kidding?
Jacob ,   nyc/usa   (05.27.12)
Sorry Daniel Feldman a progrom is when my family in europe was killed and beaten for being Jewish you are comparing apples and oranges here with left wing nonsense that is destroying this great jewish nation. I am American with friends and family here sir I do not see a progrom or anything like it just concern by israeli's for there children and there country how dare you compare the two. you are no different then the liberal swine we have in America. AM ISRAEL CHAI
52. #30: your post defines xenophobia & racism
Yitzhak ,   Israel   (05.27.12)
"They are savages and must go"? "Each week a woman is raped by africans"? What are you talking about? This is the language of racism and xenophobia. "These people" are human beings, most of them do not rape nor commit crimes, they are here mostly to work. Rapists in Israel are mostly Israelis, Jews and Arabs alike. Your use of anti-black stereotypes to condemn all black people is disgusting. Such language would have been par for course in Goebel's Ministry of Propaganda. Shame on you!
53. To: No. 34
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (05.27.12)
First of all, you are overlooking the fact that Israel did not invite these people. Hosts are, presumably, willing. These Africans do not qualify as "refugees," because they change their stories too often -- consistency does matter -- and while many claim variously to be under threat of death, or torture, or whatever, the simple fact is that they are either avoiding conscription or simply don't want to work, and found the country nearest that would be the most likely to look after them. They crossed many borders to arrive in Israel. Refugees generally are content to cross ONE. And the injunction to "love the stranger" most definitely does not extend to thieves, panhandlers, sociopaths and rapists. There was no United Nations around that time, either. Why is the United Nations so reluctant to step up? That's the question you should be asking.
54. To: Daniel at No. 23
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (05.27.12)
It's a safe bet that the Sudanese, the overwhelming number of whom are Moslem, are imbued with a hatred of Jews and of Israel. Nothing we can do will change their minds. If what is wrong with the Sudan and with South Sudan is so desperate, shouldn't those citizens stick around to make things better? Israel is getting the dregs. Do you remember the famed "Mariel boat lift," when Castro opened his prisons, his asylums and his hospitals, and sent everybody to the shores of the United States? Do you remember the havoc that caused? The Soviet Union did the same thing -- opened their prisons and asylums, stamped everyone's passport "Yevrai" (Jew), and the United States and Israel took in all the garbage. Obviously, not all of the Russian emigres were garbage. But quite a few were, and they weren't even Jewish. Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea have done the exact same thing. Israel needs to consign the whole lot of them to the United Nations. They are not Jews; we have no obligation to take them in. They are obviously antisocial, and many are criminals. The drain they have caused to Israel's social services is formidable; so much so, that Israel's citizens are suffering. They show absolutely no desire to learn Hebrew, or to do anything much, for that matter, besides drink, accost and intimidate people and, most recently, rape Israeli girls and women. Send them home, or consign them to the care and keeping of the United Nations. They are not, and should not, be Israel's problem. That's what the United Nations High Commission on Refugees is for. Israel should demand that the United Nations do its job.
55. #44 Poet, Agree with you and trying to find a solution
Michael ,   California, USA   (05.27.12)
You are correct, they should be treated with compassion by Israel and other countries. The situation in Africa is desperate and at the same time the birthrate continues to be very high. This means the problem of African exiles will only get worse in the future. Israel/ Middle East have benefited historically from being on the crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia when the world was emptier, but now Israel is paying the price in a crisis brought upon through overpopulation and underdevelopment in third world countries. Developed and/or rich countries need to assist Israel with solving this problem, most effectively through the United Nations organization. This is not an Israeli problem alone. The United Nations needs to come up with a comprehensive plan and start acting rapidly to take care of the African exiles.
56. Bla Bla, throw them OUT !
trump   (05.27.12)
Israel was designed to settle Jewish refugees !
57. #48 :) נכון דודי
Yossef   (05.27.12)
58. Not Xenophobia but they must go!
michael redbourn ,   Arad Israel   (05.27.12)
Israel has a population of almost 8 million, of which approximately 6 million are Jewish. Europe is doomed because it allowed Muslim immigration and will be totally Islamicized within 40 years unless forced deportation is used. And during those 40 years Islamization will be felt more and more. The noose will slowly tighten. According to most figures that I've read only around 2% of "refugees" in Israel would be in danger if returned home. So let's keep the 2% and get rid of the 98% So based on a estimated total of 60,000, the present number of economic refugees that need to be deported is around 58,800. Israel has too small a population (and not enough land) to take in close to 59,000 (and growing) people that came here for economic reasons. I don't hate foreigners or strangers but I'm against suicide, so they must go!
59. Can't compare
Danny ,   Tel Aviv, Israel   (05.27.12)
Jews were living in Europe for over a thousand years....Africans just got here and many are illegal. Plus if you cross two borders, you're no longer considered a refugee by international law. If they said within Africa, but once in Israel, they should lose that status. Emotionally, I feel for many of them on a personal level, but that doesn't make good national policy. Just a tough situation.
60. #47
Eugene ,   Israel   (05.27.12)
Do you also think that Jewish ma'apilim (illegal immigrants to British Mandate of Palestine, by definition) were criminals ? They certainly entered then British controlled Palestine/Eretz Israel illegally.. Sure, laws are important, but you have to stay sensitive and human at the same time.
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