Prisons do it all the time. In every country. Besides, these people entered Israel illegally, and with no identification, passports, or anything attesting to their identity. No way of knowing whether they're telling you their real names. A numbered identity and a photograph ensures that their identities are not fluid, to be changed or discarded as circumstances dictate. It's a far cry from Auschwitz.

Take them home.

The use of numbers rather than names is an act of depersonification. Depersonification is a well known psychological phenomenon used to make dehumanization and oppression easier. It's use in Israel for human beings, many of whom are refugees is beyond the pale. SHAME!

There's also the fact that these people are on the run from regimes where their lives are being threatened (which we're planning to send them back to). There's the fact that they're of a different race and religion, which leads some people to consider them as not really people. And then there's the fact that we refer to them with numbers instead of names, in order to complete the dehumanization process. The numbers are the minor part, but they're symbolic of the rest of this sickness.

The migrants are just like Jewish migrants in the 1930s, fleeing persecution and repression. Prisons are for people who have done criminal things, like stealing or killing. Do you suggest the mere prescence of non-Jewish immigrants is a criminal act? If you think so, then you should say so. It wouldn't be surprising, since you support this Auschwitz-esque policy.

I defy anyone todescribe what we are doing to the refugee's in our country as being anything other than what the British did to us

they will never understand Lucy. As a Jew myself I understand and its painful.

Funny to claim such thing when the Shoah has become such a holy institution in Israel

Jews of nazi Germany where citizens of Germany! Not foreigners invading and making crimes. There is no comparison what so ever between African illegals in our country and the victims of the Shoah. Africans have no right what so ever to stay in our land. All must be deported to their holes in the third world.

My mother and my father , both had numbers on their arms . I just fell deeply ashamed that fugitives are getting numbers in Israel . My country is brilliant on making negative propaganda against himself ...

Every single Govt reference to each of the people + citizens living in Israel is done by Teudat Zeut / ID number. ridiculous this woman's opinion, and ridiculous article.

This is the most absurd article I have yet to read on your Web Site. You print enough left wing nonsence to start with but this is beyond ridiculous. Our whole lives are numbers, Social Security, insurance drivers license, pass[port, credit cards etc. Maybe you should be concerned with all the millioons of people working right now to kill you and all the other Jews in Israel. NUTS!!!

Too bad you didn't shout and cry when the courts performed quick judgment procedures against opponents of the expulsion from Gush Katif, including wholesale remands, general indictments, general prosecution, and more ..

Jacob had a thing with numbers.

The right wing never fails to splutter in reaction to an expression of humanity. Fightened of African refugees, frightened of anyone daring to empathise with them, frightened of their own shadows. For the right wing, Hatikvah has been eclipsed by an anthem in praise of fear which has slowly but surely eaten into its soul.

it is a bad mark agaist ourselves, things are ought to looked atin a completely different perspective, we were persecuted right through history, it's time to take a different angle. even though i think it is not their place, we should provide them with some means, so they would live in dignity, at the end of the day, we are all born equal.

The list of detainee's should be followed with last name, then first name, alleged dat eof birth, country of origin, followed by a photo. If it's just numbers, what if one number is off? what if a wrong person is deported incorrectly? Just identifying by a number without those other identifiers is wrong, and incrroect and I can see how it would resonate with a Holocaust survivor. I don;t agree with illegal immigrants, some did fear for their life and if their stories are coorborated should be able to apply for asylum lik ein any other country. Why are we Jews special and ask that of the world but have a hard time extending that to people who sincerely need it and treat them in the bureaucratic process with dignity? If someone says Israel is a Jewish state, fine I agree. But remember how we were treated (and still treated) as foreigners in foreign lands. No on eis asking Israel to accept all the worlds' refugees. But what it does have perhaps it should deal with orginally and humanely.

the nation of South Africa to take them in or the United States who allows 18 million and still counting trespassers from MEXICO to take them. as far as numbers i do not see israel tatoo as in fact the United States uses social security numbers as id as a id for all official business.please do not equate the horror of the millions in the camps of the SS with prisioners who are allowed to leave there containment area and march on a demonstration then attack israeli police and not be killed on the spot

it is disappointing, to say the least, that there are those among the survivors of the shoa who are unable to grasp what the nazis actually did. the nazis tatooed numbers on human flesh with the sole goal being to prevent their slaves from escaping from their tormentors in the slave labour and death camps. the issue was not the use of numbers, but the tatooing of numbers on human flesh in the attempt to control and prevent escapes. indeed, the ss tatooed its own members, this time with the aim of giving them special recognition and first aid in case of injury. illegals in israel are not tatooed, nor are they prevented from leaving the country. numbers are used as identifiers by all bureaucracies world wide. by their very existence, bureacracies dehumanise people, but such acts are common practice.