Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to take in Syrian refugees saying the country is 'too small'
- Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was 'not indifferent' to the migrant crisis
- But said it must control its borders, against 'illegal migrants and terrorism'
- Went on to say it will start building a fence to seal off frontier with Jordan
- His political opponents said he had 'forgotten what it is to be Jews'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is 'too small' to take in desperate Syrian refugees.
The
leader of the right-wing Likud Party said Israel was 'not indifferent'
to the migrant crisis but resolutely claimed his country must defend its
borders.
It comes as Europe struggles to deal with the greatest refugee crisis since World War Two.
The
harrowing image of three-year-old boy Aylan Kurdi - his lifeless and
limp body pictured lying face down on a Turkish beach - sparked an
international outcry over the human cost of the crisis.
Tough stance: Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country cannot take in refugees from war-torn Syria
But
speaking today at a cabinet session, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was a
'very small country that lacks demographic and geographic depth'.
He added: 'Israel is not indifferent to the human tragedy of the refugees from Syria and Africa.
'We
have already devotedly cared for approximately 1,000 wounded people
from the fighting in Syria, and we have helped them to rehabilitate
their lives.
'We must control our borders, against both illegal migrants and terrorism.'
Far
from welcoming refugees from war-torn countries, he said Israel would
soon begin the first 18-mile phase of a secure border fence to seal off
the country's frontier with Jordan.
This is in addition to the 143-mile barrier along the Egyptian border that was completed in 2013.
The
Jewish state already has fences on the Lebanon border and along the
line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria.
The Greek island of Lesbos has been
overwhelmed by the vast number of asylum seekers arriving every day,
leaving local authorities struggling to cope - Israel has now said it
will not take in any more migrants
Scores of migrants wait in the port in
the hope of winning a coveted space on one of the few ferries taking
people to mainland Greece
His comments were strongly criticised by political opponents who claimed they had a 'moral duty' to take in more migrants.
Isaac
Herzog, head of the main opposition Zionist Union party, alluded to the
Jews' history of seeking safe haven from persecution, saying: 'Our
people experienced first-hand the silence of the world.
'You have forgotten what it is to be Jews. Refugees. Persecuted.'
He
appealed to Mr Netanyahu to 'absorb refugees from the fighting in
Syria', a northern neighbour Israel considers an enemy state.
He
added: 'The prime minister of the Jewish people would not shut his
heart and the gates when people are fleeing for their lives, with babies
in their arms, from persecutors.'
The haunting image of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi found dead on a Turkish beach led to an international outcry
The
Jewish state, home to around eight million people, was largely founded
by refugees after six million were murdered by the Nazis in World War
Two.
The
country has been torn in recent years between those who want to retain
its Jewish character and others who believe they have a right to accept
non Jew refugees from war-torn regions.
It
is still struggling to decide how best to deal with tens of thousands
of African migrants who crossed the border from Egypt before the barrier
was installed two years ago.
It
is further complicated by the Palestinian issue, where refugees who
fled or were expelled in 1948 following the creation of Israel want to
return to their former homes.
The EU is facing intense pressure to adopt a cohesive policy towards the migrant crisis.
After days of increasing chaos, Hungary opened its borders with Austria and sent thousands of migrants by bus to the frontier.
Many,
exhausted, barefoot and with young children, had started to walk along a
section of the motorway towards Austria in the searing heat.
6 comments:
Le Pen creates new party after expulsion from National Front
http://presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/06/428053/JeanMarie-Le-Pen-National-Front-FN-Marine-BlueWhiteRed
ORCHESTRATED REFUGEE CRISIS.
Given the number of people involved, the Turkish government (NATO) must have facilitated this mass emigration.
There is no way these immigrants could have organized this mass movement on their own.
http://aanirfan.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2016-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50
Putin says EU refugee crisis “expected” — “planned” more like it!
http://davidduke.com/putin-says-eu-refugee-crisis-expected-planned-more-like-it/
Zio, Jewish-Supremacist Seeks Extermination of Austria and Europe!
http://davidduke.com/zio-jewish-supremacist-seeks-extermination-of-austria-and-europe/
British SAS Special Forces “Dressed Up as ISIS Rebels” Fighting Assad in Syria
http://www.activistpost.com/2015/08/british-sas-special-forces-dressed-up.html
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/106477
Petition -- 'Stop allowing immigrants into the UK'.
uhuh... now up to 80,554 signatures
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