 |
 |
 |
|
|
Sudanese refugees who arrived to Israel through the border with Egypt, are seen on the backround of the Israeli Parliament, Jerusalem. June,8,2007. (Photo by Orel Cohen/FLASH90)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By Israel Insider staff July 8, 2007 |
|
| |
 Bookmark to del.icio.us |
| |
 |
| A past Israeli protest in Tel Aviv for the asylum Sudanese refugees in Israel that have been placed under arrest for entering illegaly into Israel. (Photo by Maya Levin /Flash90) |
| |
In an act of protest by Beer Sheba Mayor Ya'acov Turner, approximately 50 refugees from Darfur were transported Sunday from Beer Sheba, where they had spent the weekend after infiltrating Israel, to Jerusalem's Wohl Rose Garden. Turner asserted that it was the Israeli government's responsibility to care for the refugees, not that of the southern Israeli city.
The refugees had infiltrated Israel from Egypt on Friday, were caught by IDF soldiers, transferred to a military base and then left at the Beer Sheba Municipality building.
When the refugees were left in Beer Sheba, city officials stated that the town, which has supported numerous refugees with no state support, could no longer carry the burden.
"It's a shame that the state doesn't care for the refugees," said Eti Cohen of Beer Sheba's Social Welfare Department. "I received instructions from the municipality to care for them, they feel afraid and helpless because of the uncertainty, but we have no other choice. Maybe this step can advance the solution."
Spokesman of the Committee for Darfur Refugees, Eitan Schwartz, also criticized the state, saying, "For over two years, the government has thought that if it buries its head in the sand, the problem will disappear."
Beer Sheba municipality has already sent some 150 Sudanese refugees to Jerusalem which were put up in hotels, funded by the state, but a better solution has yet to be found.
While the refugees were in Beer Sheba over the weekend, students from the city's Ben-Gurion University took it upon themselves to raise funds to buy the group basic necessities.
Michal Tzvieli, one of the students involved in the efforts, appealed to the government to "do something for the refugees."
"If we, as a group of 50 students, are prepared to deal with [the refugees]?with the funds we're collecting for them, this is definitely a task that the government can and must deal with," she said in an interview with Army Radio.
On Saturday, 30 more refugees, mostly of Darfur, were arrested when the crossed into Israel illegally from Sinai. They were questioned by security forces and transferred to the authorities. |
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
