Maven In Israel

AVI MACHLIS
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael,
Israel

rotected from the
harsh midday sun
by a picnic-table
umbrella, Kreshnik
Bajraktari, an ethnic
Albanian refugee from
Kosovo, replays the events
that led him to this safe
haven alongside the calm
shores of the Israeli
Mediterranean.
Like most of the 74 peo-
ple housed here, the 23-year-
old Bajraktari's thoughts are
far away. He's concerned
about the members of his
extended family still in the
Balkans, the fate of his home
Children from Kosovo play at Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael.
in the Kosovar capital of
Pristina and his dentistry
studies that were abruptly
cut off by the war.
Some of the refugees hope
to return home as soon as
possible; others want to rebuild their
field-school dormitories, but a sadness
all along that they might be part of a
lives in Israel. All of them know they
has descended upon these refugees.
Serbian scheme to have them slaugh-
are lucky
Many are desperately calling home
tered should NATO bomb the plant.
"We are grateful and appreciate what
to try to locate relatives and friends.
The family finally reached the
Israel has done for us," says Bajraktari.
All are still coming to terms with
refugee camp near Skopje, Macedonia.
"I don't think any country in the world
what they have left behind and the
Then, along with his cousin Astrit
would have greeted us like this."
challenge of rebuilding their lives in a
Kuci, another dentistry student who
Last week, on the eve of Holocaust
country most knew nothing about.
had nearly completed his degree,
Remembrance Day, 111 ethnic
Just a few weeks ago, Bajraktari was
Bajaktari found himself working along-
Albanians were airlifted to Israel as a
studying dentistry in Pristina. Like
side doctors at the Israeli field hospital.
humanitarian gesture. Although the
many ethnic Albanians, his family
When Israel said it would take in more
number is symbolic — it would take
believed it would only be a matter of
than 100 refugees, they were among
7,000 such airlifts to relocate the
days before NATO air strikes crushed
the first to sign up their families.
approximately 700,000 refugees creat-
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
"I have seen some movies about
ed by the crisis — for this small
For 10 days, the Bajraktaris hun-
what the Germans did to the Jews in
group, Israel is a guardian angel.
kered down in their Pristina home,
World War II, and it touched my
They were given a hero's welcome.
praying they would be spared both the
soul," says Kuci, an Israel patch pinned
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
NATO bombs targeting Serb military
to his T-shirt. "I couldn't believe
greeted them, Bajraktari spoke in front
positions and the Serbian shells crash-
nobody spoke out against the atrocities
of a Knesset parliamentary committee
ing down throughout the city. With
then. But when we experienced this
and the group was taken on field trips
no end in sight, the Bajraktari family
ourselves, I realized that Albanians and
last weekend to see the country.
piled into their car and headed south
Jews had the same fate.
However, as the euphoria dies
for the Macedonian border. Cars
While most Jews would not feel
down — the hordes of journalists and
packed with fleeing families were
comfortable comparing Auschwitz to
television crews are now gone —
backed up for miles. Serb soldiers
Skopje, Israelis almost instinctively
many refugees appear to be in shock
herded the vehicles into an immense
have demonstrated sympathy and sup-
from the events that shattered their
parking lot of an abandoned factory.
port for the plight of Kosovo's
lives. Older men play chess and chil-
For five terrifying nights the
Albanians.
dren frolic amid the white stucco
Bajraktari family stayed there, fearing
Israelis have raised more than $1.25

.

million to aid the Ko[oo
and Israeli companies 1-12
7' sent an additional
$500,000 worth of food
blankets and other relief
iss Israel's Arab commun
- has also raised about $1.
t, million to help the
Albanians, who are most
Muslims. But when W- 9
=' leaders from a village
t, ne-
Ma'agan Michael last we
came to invite the
Albanians to services at a
local mosque, the refuge]
politely declined.
The refugees may be w
of insulting their Jewish h
and becoming embroiled i
another ethnic conflict by ,
showing their affinity with
the Muslim community
even though officials with
the Jewish Agency for Israel
who are sponsoring their st)
have told them to feel free
practice their religion.
More likely, however, t
refugees simply do not c m
identify with the local Muslims. "Thl
Muslims invited us to use the mosqi
but we said we are not religious,"
explains Emrush Rama, a 19 year ol 4
musician who has two earrings in his
left ear. "We have a different way of
thinking."
Bajraktari agrees: "We were not
persecuted because we are Muslims,-/
but because we are Albanians," he
says. We tried to explain this to the
local Muslims."
Several of the new arrivals, already
believing they will have nothing to
return to, want to apply for citizen-
ship. Israel has promised citizenship t(
those who choose to stay after six
months. In addition, many of the c
refugees in Israel are professionals, an"
they want to begin studying Hebrew
soon as possible so they can find jobs.
"We hope to get the Hebrew ulpan
started quickly, and we are also trying
find them workplaces," said Jaffa Barsi
who is managing the Ma'agan Michael
site on behalf of the Jewish Agency.
"Their main problem will be to decide
where their future lies, whether to sta7_ \'
here or return home." P1

Some Kosovars will seek new life in the Jewish state.

4/23
1999

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