Bullshit, demonization and shame
A strange event called "Israel Apartheid Week" is due to take place on University campuses around the world this week. This event is based on the ridiculous premise that Israel is an "apartheid state," one that discriminates against its Arab citizens. Not only is this not true, it's opposite to the truth. In evidence I present the short documentary movie entitled "Strangers no more," that focuses on an elementary school in south Tel Aviv, in a poor neighborhood near the central bus station, where the children of many immigrants mix and meet. This documentary won the Oscar for best short documentary for 2010 out of all those submitted to the Academy of Motion Pictures in Hollywood. It was made by Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon about the Bialik-Rogozin school, where Ethiopian Jewish immigrants rub shoulders with Sudanese Muslim pupils, many of whom are illegal immigrants.
The movie shows the efforts of educators at the school, Principal Keren Tal and teacher Smadar Moeres, to help these pupils integrate into Israeli society. There are 800 kids from 48 countries at the school, and there is not a whiff of racism or any kind of segregation, which is what apartheid means! All the lessons are given in Hebrew and the school uses the intense ulpan approach to teach the children Hebrew. It follows the struggles and friendships of the pupils and documents their progress as they navigate Israeli society. As Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv said, "in a world of cynicism, alienation and hatred this movie proves in the most direct and convincing way that there is a chance for a better world." One would think that the opponents of Israel would have better things to do with their time than "beat a dead horse."
One of the major problems at this school is that 120 of the pupils are on a list to be deported back to their countries of origin. This is because they are illegal immigrants. In the face of a large number of such children, a Committee of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption met last year and issued clear guidelines. One of these is that children must have been in Israel for 5 years and have been taught in Hebrew. Unfortunately 120 children do not meet these guidelines, although another 280 will be allowed to stay. So there is a movement in democratic Israel against this deportation. One should note that there are movements for deportation of illegal immigrants in most Western countries, including the US and UK, yet here in Israel the opposite is the case. But, Israelis recognize that the flood of illegal immigrants from Africa that have been crossing the Egyptian border is unsustainable, and the Government is now building a fence along the southern Israel-Egyptian border and have built two new facilites to house illegal immigrants, one at Ben Gurion Airport and one in Eilat. Note that the Egyptian border guards shoot and kill these refugees if they catch them, something that doesn't seem to bother the anti-Israel "human rights" activists.
Another fact that puts the lie to the odious accusation of apartheid is the presence in Israeli cities of Arab citizens. We see them every day in Netanya, shopping with everyone else. Not only is there no discrimination, I have never heard or seen any animosity towards these Arab Israeli citizens even through the worst times of suicide bombings. If you happen to meet anyone who participates in these Israel apartheid events, tell them they are simply wrong, they are not facing reality. When the Arab world is fighting to overthrow fascist dictators surely they can find a better cause to support. The so-called "boycott, divestment and solidarity" (BDS) movement should be renamed the "bullshit, demonization and shame" movement.
The movie shows the efforts of educators at the school, Principal Keren Tal and teacher Smadar Moeres, to help these pupils integrate into Israeli society. There are 800 kids from 48 countries at the school, and there is not a whiff of racism or any kind of segregation, which is what apartheid means! All the lessons are given in Hebrew and the school uses the intense ulpan approach to teach the children Hebrew. It follows the struggles and friendships of the pupils and documents their progress as they navigate Israeli society. As Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv said, "in a world of cynicism, alienation and hatred this movie proves in the most direct and convincing way that there is a chance for a better world." One would think that the opponents of Israel would have better things to do with their time than "beat a dead horse."
One of the major problems at this school is that 120 of the pupils are on a list to be deported back to their countries of origin. This is because they are illegal immigrants. In the face of a large number of such children, a Committee of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption met last year and issued clear guidelines. One of these is that children must have been in Israel for 5 years and have been taught in Hebrew. Unfortunately 120 children do not meet these guidelines, although another 280 will be allowed to stay. So there is a movement in democratic Israel against this deportation. One should note that there are movements for deportation of illegal immigrants in most Western countries, including the US and UK, yet here in Israel the opposite is the case. But, Israelis recognize that the flood of illegal immigrants from Africa that have been crossing the Egyptian border is unsustainable, and the Government is now building a fence along the southern Israel-Egyptian border and have built two new facilites to house illegal immigrants, one at Ben Gurion Airport and one in Eilat. Note that the Egyptian border guards shoot and kill these refugees if they catch them, something that doesn't seem to bother the anti-Israel "human rights" activists.
Another fact that puts the lie to the odious accusation of apartheid is the presence in Israeli cities of Arab citizens. We see them every day in Netanya, shopping with everyone else. Not only is there no discrimination, I have never heard or seen any animosity towards these Arab Israeli citizens even through the worst times of suicide bombings. If you happen to meet anyone who participates in these Israel apartheid events, tell them they are simply wrong, they are not facing reality. When the Arab world is fighting to overthrow fascist dictators surely they can find a better cause to support. The so-called "boycott, divestment and solidarity" (BDS) movement should be renamed the "bullshit, demonization and shame" movement.
posted by Jack Cohen at 9:11 PM
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