Southern Sudan refugee leader appeals to Israeli Knesset
By Manyang Mayom
January 8, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The chairman of the Sudanese refugees’ organization in Israel, Majier Anyuat Pap, sent a letter Israel’s Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik last month.
Since 2006, over 13,000 refugees, primarily Sudanese and Eritrean, have passed through Egypt and crossed the Sinai border into Israel, though some have been forcibly returned, according to Human Rights Watch.
Pap said that the Ministry of Interior’s decisions always seem to be against the refugees’ requirements, which appears to contradict her speech in the Knesset in which she promised to deal in a friendly way with these refugees. Yet in the meantime, the immigration police have continually been moving Sudanese from city to city, noted Pap’s letter.
Their sense of neglect is aggravated by the fact that more than 500 Darfurian refugees received ID cards for transient residency this month, as recommended by UNHCR, whereas over 3,500 African refugees, many of them from southern Sudan, are still in a legal limbo.
Pap said that “we wonder whether you have been in touch with the US, Australian, Canada, and Norwegian Embassies to take them, if Israel does not want them here? You will no doubt realize that there is a danger of these people becoming desperate, as they do not find work or places to live.” he said, indicating that the government seems to be deaf to their appeal.
The refugee spokesman further affirmed that the immigrants are mostly Christian rather than Muslims, who have been persecuted by Arab Muslims who are bitter enemies of Israel, adding that they fled from persecution and danger to our lives from a genocidal regime.
It is therefore that we feel at one with Jewish people, he noted. “We were faced with situations that remind us of your fate in Europe. The Sudanese invaded our land and tried to make us into Arabs and Muslims. We appeal to you to take positive action in regard to South Sudanese refugees, especially those who are still homeless, wandering between Israeli towns and cities, seeking work, also in order to send money to their families in Africa,” said Pap’s letter.
He added that it seems that the UNHCR is powerless to deal with this situation; the Interior ministry took partial responsibility and gave them conditional release visas, which they don’t understand.
The spokesman concluded, “I do hope that you will do your best to help us.”
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tayeb M. Alhassan
Southern Sudan refugee leader appeals to Israeli Knesset
Whatever you do guys you can not breakthrough mistrust between Arabs and Israel to accept you as refugees regardless of religious or ethnic reasoning you mentioned to support your case in Israel. How can you ask somebody for something that he doesn’t own and you proved it your self on your raised banner “JEWS ARE ALSO REFUGEES” comeback home because your dignity still there waiting for your.
DAVID N.
Southern Sudan refugee leader appeals to Israeli Knesset
The ISRAEL belongs to the 12 Tribes of YISRAEL, not to the Gentiles!
Buk Dan Buk
Southern Sudan refugee leader appeals to Israeli Knesset
Israel must accept all those refugee in thier country because every refugee has a right to live in any country. The must respect human right law. And the must follow the rule as they are written by the world.