As the World Marks Human Rights Day 2007, Israel Continues its Efforts to Aid Darfur Refugees On Mon., Dec. 10, the United Nations will commemorate the 60th annual Human Rights Day and its Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “It is our duty to ensure that these rights are a living reality – that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. It is often those who most need their human rights protected, who also need to be informed that the Declaration exists – and that it exists for them.” [1] Israel has frequently demonstrated its commitment to aiding those suffering in countries far beyond Israel, such as offering disaster relief to countries ranging from El Salvador [2] and Kosovo [3] to Turkey [4] and Sri Lanka. [5] Israel, despite its small size and limited resources, has once again taken a prominent role in relieving the suffering of others by granting asylum to hundreds of refugees from Sudan’s Darfur region. [6] The four-year-old Darfur conflict has left hundreds of thousands of Sudanese dead and displaced at least two million others. The brutal conflict has been marked by widespread atrocities such as raping girls and murdering civilians. [7] In Sept. 2007, the Israeli government officially granted asylum to 498 Darfur refugees. [8] In October, the government gave 51 of them new homes at kibbutzes – collective living settlements – where they are now living and working. [9] On Oct. 17, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that 300 of the Darfur refugees had been successfully settled in homes in the Negev. [10] In addition, Israel’s foreign ministry announced in September that it would donate $5 million to victims of genocide in Darfur. Israel will transfer $4 million to four international aid organizations and purchase $1 million worth of medicine and water desalination equipment from Israeli companies, which will be given to the refugees. [11] The Darfur conflict remains one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world today. The UN estimates that the death toll now exceeds 400,000 and that there are more than two million internally displaced persons in Darfur. [12] In addition, there are more than 200,000 refugees from Darfur in Chad. [13] Details of Israel’s Aid to Darfur’s Refugees • There are significant numbers of Darfur refugees who have made their way to Egypt and from there across the Sinai desert and into Israel. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees there are roughly 500 Darfurian refugees in Israel and another 2,500 refugees of other nationalities and categories. [14] • Prime Minister Olmert has stated that the government is considering helping to establish, and contributing towards, additional refugee camps outside Israel to cope with the influx of African refugees to Israel. According to a highly-placed source, Ethiopia is a potential location for such camps. [15] In addition to the efforts of the Israeli government to accommodate the refugees, there has been a significant level of grassroots, social activism by Israeli civil society organizations. • There are a number of organizations set up by activists in Israel to promote the welfare of the Darfur refugees. One of those is the Committee for Advancement of Refugees from Darfur (CARD), which consists of a number of independent human rights NGOs. The committee’s members coordinate and oversee all the media efforts and political advocacy aimed at bringing greater public awareness to the Sudanese refugee problem in Israel. The Committee's volunteers also coordinate and implement various humanitarian efforts to improve the daily lives of the refugees detained in prison. [16] • The Hotline for Migrant Workers, an NGO which promotes the rights of migrant workers, refugees and other vulnerable groups, has also been very active on behalf of the Darfur refugees. The group has undertaken legal action for the refugees and their volunteers visit detention centers, take testimonies and provide clothes and phone-cards. The Hotline has also assisted the refugees in gaining medical treatment and homes on kibbutzes. [17] • The World Union of Jewish Students Institute (WUJS) in the southern Israeli town of Arad recently began a Hebrew-language course for Darfurian refugees living in Arad. About 70 refugees from Darfur were placed in the Israeli town at the beginning of the summer. The children are enrolled in local schools, while the adults commute to work in hotels at the Dead Sea. About 35 adults have also taken advantage of the free Hebrew classes. [18] The WUJS center, which is run by the women's Zionist organization Hadassah, developed the curriculum for the Hebrew classes, while teachers in Arad are volunteering their time. The classes are held in Jewish Agency-owned absorption centers in the city. • The Jewish Agency for Israel is temporarily housing 58 refugees from Sudan, many of them believed to be from the Darfur area, at the special request of the Prime Minister’s Office. The group is staying at the Jewish Agency Ibim Absorption center located near Sderot, where they are receiving housing, food and medical care. [19] • Kibbutz Eilot, in the south of the country, has been sent 170 refugees by the army and Israeli Border Police where they are living and have also been provided with work and medical care in conjunction with the Ministry of Health. [20] • Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael has taken in five Darfur refugees. They work on the kibbutz, receive free board and electricity and subsidized meals. They have private Hebrew lessons twice a week and go on day trips to Tel Aviv. [21] • Other kibbutzes that have taken in refugees from Darfur include Kibbutz Ketura, [22] Kibbutz Sde Boker, Kibbutz Tse'elim, [23] Kibbutz Ma’aleh Hahamisha. [24] • More than 300 African and Sudanese refugees are working in hotels in Eilat. Their absorption is the responsibility of the Hotline for Migrant Workers and the UN Refugee Agency in Israel. The two organizations have worked together to release refugees being held in prison compounds and find them housing and employment. [25] Footnotes [1] Home Page, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights:1948-2008,” http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2007/, accessed Dec. 10, 2007 [2] "Israeli Aid to Earthquake Victims in El Salvador-January/February 2001," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 1, 2001, http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/3/Israeli+Aid+to+Earthquake+Victims+in+El+Salvador+-.htm [3] "Aid to Kosovo Refugees," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, April 3, 1999, http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/MFA+Spokesman/1999/Aid+to+Kosovo+Refugees.htm [4] "Israeli Aid for Turkish Earthquake Victims," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aug. 18, 1999, http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1999/8/Israeli+Aid+for+Turkish+Earthquake+Victims.htm [5] The Tsunami Disaster in Southeast Asia," Ministry of Foreign Affairs Operations PowerPoint Presentation, Jan. 1, 2005, http://www.theisraelproject.org/atf/cf/{84DC5887-741E-4056-8D91-A389164BC94E}/200501MFA_ENG_TSUNAMI.PPT [6] Sofer, Ronny, “Government okays absorption of 498 Darfur refugees,” YnetNews, Sept. 23, 2007, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3452414,00.html [7] African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID), “Darfur – Unamid – Backround,” UNAMID press release accessed Dec. 9, 2007, http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/background.html [8] Sofer, Ronny, “Government okays absorption of 498 Darfur refugees,” YnetNews, Sept. 23, 2007, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3452414,00.html [9] “Israel releases 50 Darfur refugees,” Agence France-Presse, Oct. 18, 2007, http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071018/wl_mideast_afp/israelrefugeesudandarfur_071018120602 [10] Frenkel, Sheera Claire, “Gov't eyes Ghana, Kenya for refugees,” The Jerusalem Post, Oct. 18, 2007, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1192380586033 [11] Eichner, Itamar “Israel to donate $5 million to Darfur refugees,” YnetNews, May 9, 2007, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3397639,00.html [12] “Annan welcomes extension of African Union mission in Darfur,” Web site of the UN, Sept. 21, 2006 http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19948&Cr=sudan&Cr1= [13] “Sudanese Refugees in Chad,” Fact Sheet of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Nov. 29, 2004, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/39325.pdf [14] “Israel: Some African asylum-seekers lack food, decent accommodation,” IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks), Oct. 16, 2007, http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74795 [15] Ilan, Shahar, “Government source: State may send African refugees to Ethiopia,” Haaretz, Oct. 18, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/914384.html [16] Committee for Advancement of Refugees from Darfur, http://www.cardisrael.org/about-english.htm [17] Hotline for Migrant Workers, http://www.hotline.org.il/english/news/2006/Hotline122306.htm [18] Berman, Daphna, “Darfur refugees in Arad learn the alefbet of Israeli life,” Haaretz, Sept. 20, 2007, http://tinyurl.com/2jpl37 [19] “Jewish Agency provides shelter to 58 refugees from Sudan,” Jewish United Fund, July 13, 2007, http://www.juf.org/news/israel.aspx?id=24430 [20] Dressler, Tamar, “From Darfur to Eilat: Refugees' new life,” YnetNews, June 17, 2007, http://tinyurl.com/3bgv5b [21] Matthew , Jennie, “Sudanese seek refuge in Israel from Darfur,” ReliefWeb, March 8, 2007, http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/DHRV-6Z47GX?OpenDocument [22] Wainer , David, “From Darfur to a kibbutz oasis,” Haaretz, accessed Nov. 14, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtUnd.jhtml?temNo=915716&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y [23] Wurgaft , Nurit, “Zionism to make us proud: Kibbutz shelters Darfur refugees,” ZioNation Web site sourcing Haaretz, retrieved from ZioNation Web site on Nov. 14, 2007, http://www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000036.html [24] “Two Darfur refugees stand beneath the Menorah outside of Israel’s Knesset,” Web site of New Israel Fund, Feb. 27, 2007, http://www.nif.org/about/success-stories/two-darfur-refugees-stand.html [25] Dressler, Tamar, “From Darfur to Eilat: Refugees' new life,” YnetNews, June 17, 2007, http://tinyurl.com/3bgv5b The Israel Project is an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. 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And they say Israel's "evilllllll"