Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Asylum Seekers Protest in Israel

Article: Thousands of refugees from Eritrea and Sudan, fleeing persecution in their countries, have come to Israel. They seek asylum--the chance to live in Israel, work and raise families. Many are Muslim and ironically few of the Muslim nations have taken them in. At first Israel, gave refuge to them but after several years, they have swelled in numbers and overwhelmed the small Jewish state. Now Israel has a new policy of detaining them and expelling them. For the fourth day in a row, these refugees have protested this policy by refusing to work and assembling outside the Knesset in Jerusalem. There is confusion in Israel over what to do. Click here for pictures of the protesters in Jerusalem. 

Discussion: 
  • What is an asylum seeker? 
  • Why did Israel initially take in the asylum seekers? (Memories of the Holocaust; "right" thing to do)
  • Why is Israel having second thoughts now? (There are too many; Israel is a tiny country; need to preserve the Jewish character of the nation)
  • What should Israel do? 

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