ur
Our
Deportation?
Native-born children of foreign
workers pose dilemma for Israel.
Dina Kraft
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Tel Aviv
T
he round-faced boy given the
unusual first name of Rabbi by
his Filipino parents was born 11
years ago in Israel and has never known
another home.
He speaks only Hebrew and has never
traveled to the Philippines, but along
with some 1,100 other children of foreign
workers without work permits in Israel,
the boy faces possible deportation along
with his family.
"I feel Israeli in my heart and in my
soul:' said the boy, Rabbi Eliazar Cruz.
His parents initially came to Israel
legally, as caretakers for elderly clients,
but overstayed their visas.
"The Land of Israel is my land:' Rabbi
said. "But these days I stay mostly at
home, inside. I don't want to be caught
outside and asked by the police where my
parents are and deported:'
In late July, a government order to
deport the children and their families
as part of a larger expulsion of migrants
was delayed for three months by Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the last
minute under pressure from the public,
local human rights groups and even
President Shimon Peres.
Still, the question of government policy
on the issue of the Israeli-born chil-
dren of foreign workers, most of whose
parents entered the country legally but
stayed after their work permits expired,
remains unresolved.
Like other countries in the industrial
world, Israel faces the dilemma of how to
deal with the families created on its soil
by the foreign workers it invites in. But
Israel, which has no immigration policy
for non-Jews, finds itself in uncharted
territory.
"On the one hand, Israel encouraged
foreign workers to come for short-term
stays and participate in the labor market
in fields where there were not enough
workers:' said John Gal, a professor of
social work at Hebrew University in
Jerusalem.
"But there was no contingency for
them staying and raising families here,'
he said. "So Israel is now faced with a sit-
uation where we have children of workers
A foreign worker pushes her child in
a stroller at an anti-deportation pro-
test in Tel Aviv at the end of July.
born here but who lack citizenship or
clear status:'
Sabine Hadad, a spokeswoman for the
Interior Ministry, said deporting illegal
residents is a matter of law enforcement.
"These people have broken the law
and they know that:' she said of foreign-
ers who overstayed their visas. "The law
needs to be applied:'
Instituting a policy that allows the par-
ents of children born in Israel to stay in
the country permanently also would open
a route for illegal immigrants to stay in
Israel forever: simply have a child there.
In the meantime, some 2,000 children
of foreigners have come of age in Israel.
They speak fluent Hebrew, attend Israeli
schools and have joined youth move-
ments. Some have even served in the
military.
In 2006, a one-time government rul-
ing gave 900 of the children permanent
residency status. Those whose futures are
now in question are the 1,100 others.
"I'm not Jewish, but I am Israeli: said
a teenager whose parents came to Israel
from Turkey.
The boy was speaking at a meeting of
such children at the offices of the Hotline
for Migrant Workers, which is one of the
main organizations lobbying against
deportation.
Israeli rights groups also take issue
with what they call the government's
revolving-door policy of forcing foreign
workers out of the country and then
bringing in new workers instead of just
keeping those who are there and want to
stay.
Most of the country's foreign work-
ers are from the Philippines, Thailand,
Colombia, China and Africa. The vast
majority work as caregivers for the elderly
or physically impaired.
After the second intifada began in
2000, large numbers of permits were
issued to bring in foreign workers in
agriculture and construction to replace
Palestinian workers.
In announcing the decision to halt the
deportation orders for the children and
their parents, Netanyahu's office released a
statement explaining the administration's
stance on illegal residents generally:
"The never-ending flow of illegal resi-
dents into Israel during the last few years
has led to a situation whereby the per-
centage of illegal residents in the country
is one of the highest in the world, relative
to the local population and the number
of employees in the job market. This fact
increases unemployment among Israelis
and significantly alters Israel's internal
demographics."
Harel Kohen, an aide to Yaakov Katz,
the lawmaker who heads the Knesset's
committee on foreign workers, said that
taking a firm line on foreign workers
illegally in Israel is about preserving the
Jewish character of Israel.
"We need to ensure they do not stay in
Israel, otherwise Israel is at risk of having
its own people assimilated:' he said. "We
could lose our Jewish identity
The Interior Ministry says there are
some 300,000 illegal migrants and
approximately 70,700 legal foreign work-
ers in Israel.
Education Minister Gidon Sar is
drafting legislation that would prevent the
deportation and imprisonment of minors
aged 3 to 18, along with their parents and
siblings. Siar also proposes outlining
conditions in which permanent-resident
status can be granted to children inte-
grated into Israeli life.
The Ha'aretz newspaper endorsed
such a bill in a recent editorial.
"A nation that has experienced expul-
sion orders and refugee status is not
allowed to expel the children of refugees
and turn its back on the distress of chil-
dren who want to become part of the
country' the editorial said.
'
Jane and Larry Sherman are life-
long supporters of many Jewish causes,
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Jane and Larry know no other way
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October 15 a 2009
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