Opinion  Ben-Dror Yemini
Syrian refugees: The moral imperative and existential necessity
Ben-Dror Yemini
Published: 09.02.16, 23:37
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16 Talkbacks for this article
1. "Refugees" are starting to chase Jews outa EU. Do u want
Alan ,   SA   (02.10.16)
them to help Pals do the same in Israel? I like Bibi fence idea... start that project NOW
2. Israel can send airplanes, take refugees to 59 Muslim states
(02.10.16)
3. Gulf oil tyrants don't receive refugees
Avi L.   (02.10.16)
Gulf oil tyrants don't receive refugees. Let's start with Saudis, Qataris, Iranians and so on.
4. YNET wants Israelis to feel guilty
Shep ,   Memphis, TN   (02.10.16)
YNET fails to call the Syrian refugees correctly. They are "hostile refugees" when it comes to Jews or Israelis. Let Europe absorb them, after all - it's already crumbling under the weight of all the refugees it has allowed in over the past 30 years. Israel has no moral obligation other than to assist them while they are in Syria, but NOT ALLOW THEM IN ISRAEL.
5. wrong wrong wrong. but if must syrian christians
ralph   (02.10.16)
6. You are under no obligation to blood enemies
Cameron ,   USA   (02.10.16)
Your first order of business is to protect your own folk. If they have to sit in tents in Turkey & Jordan for years waiting for one side to triumph in Syria, then so be it.
7. This is not for Israel to get involved in..
Beary White ,   Norway   (02.10.16)
... We all know the arab oil-producing states have done less than nothing to help "their Islamic brothers".!! Ths question is raised in the civilized world, let the muslim states clean it up themselves. Because this is the way islam is spreading, through death and violence, the western world and Israel, should NOT take the bait this time. Let the muslims take care of their self-created problems themselves.
8. As Jews how did you respond to Gaza's mass exodus, the human
Chaim ,   Israel   (02.10.16)
tragedy? Where were you when almost 10,000 Jews were thrown out of their legal homes and livelihood by Jewish leaders in the Jewish land?
9. we owe them nothing
CJK   (02.10.16)
let us not ever forget that members of tzahal who were captured by syria were most horrifically tortured. let us not forget that syria has been host to all muslim terror groups that have been enemies of the jewish state. let us not forget that many israelis have been murdered by syrians. let us not forget that syria hosted nazi war criminals of the worst kind. the jews of europe were citizens of european countries. they were decent, law abiding people who never harmed anyone. the holocaust was pepetrated by the europeans against a totally defenceless, unarmed civilian population, one and a half million of whom were children. the syrians started an uprising against assad. this uprising turned into a civil war. neither side wants to stop. both sides have committed horrible atrocities against each other. both sides get military support from foreign states: assad is supported by russia and iran; the rebels, and the islamic state are supported by turkey, saudi arabia, quatar and other sunni states. let these states take in the refugees. the jews have finally returned home after two thousand years of exile. the jews have a tiny state which is under constant attack by muslims. the nations, including obama and the europeans, are inciting against the jewish state. enough is enough.
10. Mark Wiseman from J-Street, on FB
C   (02.10.16)
israel does not need lessons from a foreigner who is not even fluent in english yet pretends to be american.
11. USA superpower has capacities
Zola   (02.10.16)
The USA as Superpower has capacities not even there after the defeat of Nazi Germany in May1945 . One admirable policy the Obama administration has been able to slow is Genocide as seen with the rescue of the Yazdi Minority in Syria . Israel can help the USA Administration the First ever committed and with the capacity to block Genocide of People's ..
12. No need to wait for Armageddon
Bertram ,   London, UK.   (02.10.16)
It has already arrived. No-one has responsibility for anyone else. Each nation, ethnic group, religious group, etc. is retreating into its own self-defined 'ghetto'. The result is Hobbes' war of all against all. Nihilism has won. All moral (immoral?) systems are hypocritical so it is time to abandon them. Israel - and all other nation-states - have no legitimacy, only power. So, all the righteous arguments about letting in - or not letting in - refugees is so much hogwash, just as it is about almost everything else. Seems like a reasonable position to take - doesn't it?
13. The islamic world should resolve its own problems
Berk ,   Amsterdam   (02.10.16)
So, it is about time Saud-Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and the Gulf states are going to take care for the refugees. If Merkel wants to avoid the uprise of neo-nazism, she should take into notice the refugees are becoming the scapegoats. History always repeats itself.
14. I would like to add another reason
Moshe ,   Israel   (02.10.16)
To these of the author, why Israel should not absorb the Syrian refugees. The Jewish state faces big security threats, which does not challenge any Western country, particularly in EU. And if even the Europeans have begun to close their gates for those masses, all the more so for Israel, and it should content itself with its own troubles.
15. Help them in Syria!
Igor ,   Germany   (02.10.16)
Israel can help refugees without letting them in: Set up refugee camps in Syria or in disputed territory. Quneitra lies deserted, why not settle it with refugees?
16. OK... so what specifically are you proposing ??
Rafi ,   US   (02.11.16)
...did I miss your proposals/ solutions regarding Israel what Israel should do?
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