I’ve signed this petition, as have a wide array of public figures, artists and academics from across the political spectrum and of a variety of faiths — including such accomplished historians as Israel’s Yehuda Bauer, Canada’s Irving Abella, and David S. Wyman in the U.S. Israel’s initial welcome reception of African refugees has become unwelcoming and even ugly, as their numbers have grown precipitously. I begin with a note from Dr. Rafael Medoff, director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, who initiated this petition (email him or contact the Wyman Institute to add your name):
As you know, Israel has been at the center of international controversy over its handling of African refugees who have been arriving at its border.The interfaith petition below is intended to be signed by religious leaders of all faiths, scholars in all fields, organizational leaders, and political and cultural figures from around the world–we seek a broad cross-section of distinguished individuals to demonstrate the breadth of support for this effort. Once we have a sufficiently large and impressive body of signatories, we will present it to individual governments and press for its adoption.
The Hebrew University-Hadassah Genocide Prevention Program, and the Israeli Association to Combat Genocide, have endorsed this initiative. Would you do us the honor of allowing your name to be added to the list below?
With all best wishes,Rafael Medoff, rafaelmedoff@aol.com
THE EVIAN DECLARATION
Israel and the African Refugee Crisis:
A WORLD SOLUTION FOR A WORLD PROBLEM
Significant numbers of African men, women, and children are fleeing genocide, political persecution, or economic hardship, and many have been seeking refuge in Israel. We note that the people of Israel have an impressive record of assisting African and other underdeveloped countries, and sheltering refugees from around the world. At the same time, we acknowledge the Israeli public’s legitimate concern over expectations that Israel should shoulder all or most of the burden of caring for the new refugees.
We urge the international community to address this crisis in the spirit of the appeal made by U.S. Vice President Walter F. Mondale at the United Nations Conference on Indochinese Refugees, held in Evian, France, in 1979. He said the countries attending the infamous 1938 Evian conference “failed the test of civilization” by refusing to help Europe’s Jewish refugees, and he urged the 1979 attendees to cooperate in resolving the crisis of “boat people” fleeing Indochina: “We face a world problem. Let us fashion a world solution.” Those words moved governments to act. Hundreds of thousands of lives were saved.
We call on the nations of the world to accept their responsibility to share the burden of resolving the African refugee crisis. We hope Israel will play an appropriate role in such an effort alongside other nations that are committed to doing their fair share. With the approach of the 75th anniversary of the original Evian conference, in July 2013, we urge men and women of good will to come together in a partnership of humanity to face this crisis.
A voice of reason. Not only did they flee from oppression from Sudan, they had to flee from the “refuge” Egypt. The UN has ignored this problem. Human rights activists and some writers here have condemned israel for its alleged treatment of the refugees without understanding the pressures it has placed on a little country. These refugees were not placed in a camps, they were given apartments and financial support. It is about time Israel catch a little credit for the efforts
My heart bleeds everyday whenever I read the plights of African refugees in the Middle East that includes Israel as well. Even after being told again and again about the peril of legally or illegally immigrating to foreign countries, never the less, our youths travel under horrible circumstances. Why? Let me tell you the situation in Ethiopia. Most of these immigrants have passports. The government of Ethiopia and its agencies make millions of dollars when they issue these passports. There are agencies in Ethiopia connected with the regime who letterally sell young Ethiopian women to Arabs to work as maids.So many poor African and Asian governments banned their young women from going to Middle East, but not the Ethiopian government. These young women and their families had borrowed money to travel to these countries. Some returned with no money, for some, their bodies were returned in caskets and some disappeared. In Ethiopia, the present regime stands for themselves and in recent years, these officials became millionaires and billionaires by selling vast areas of fertile lands to Arab and Asian investors and they share whatever money they can get among themselves. This is a fact, in Ethiopian no one owns the land they farm or build houses so that it becomes easier for the government to confisticate the people’s properties. The goverrnment does not take the reponsibility of creating jobs and offering hope for our young people. So our young, with not hope and prospect at home, decide to travel any place and anywhere to work at whatever job they can get. The saddistic, bigotted and racists Middle East people and governments are abusing African immigrants who have become fair game. Thousands of Ethiopian, Eritrean, Somali and South Sudan migrants have been killed, for example, in the Senai Peninsula for their kidneys, livers, eyeballs, etc. by the Beduins. In Yemen, which is supposed to be the starting point of their future destinations, men and women were raped, savagely beaten and even killed with no protection from the police because according to them they are black and it does not matter to abuse them. Even in Israel who claim to be tolerant to humanity were firebombing the refugee camps, demonstrated their disgust toward African immigrants. One of the leader in the demonstration said that everytime she sees a black guy, she see a thief, a murderer and a rapist. Our corrupt governments of Africa are being protected and supported by foreign powers, yet no one is ready to support or give a helping hand to the people. The only way we can stop this vicious cycle is to stop supporting oppressive, undemocratic exploitative governments, support citizens who stand for their rights and better governance. Let us not wait for history to tell the things that went horribly wrong, let us do something for better future humanity.
” stop supporting oppressive, undemocratic exploitative governments, support citizens who stand for their rights and better governance” I agree. thank you for sharing Martha.
Well said Martha, as soon as I saw your name I knew where you were coming from. There are many things that make a soul drunk, thereby degrading the beautiful gift that God has bestowed upon humanity. It is ironic that the extremists who rail against drunkenness with wine, are all, without exception, drunk with hatred. Political power can be a strong narcotic, if left unchecked. When we light a candle in a very dark place, people from all around will see it. Thank you for your comment.
Martha, one little point, if I may: we ought not to speak of the human person as though geographic origin mattered. When we objectify others, we tend to lose a little part of our own humanity. Thanks.