Sunday 10 August 2008

Belgian newspaper Le Soir claims that Israel prefers Western immigrants

Reporting on the latest airlift of 65 Ethiopian Jewish families, Belgian newspaper Le Soir (paper edition of August 7) claims that "there are still tens of thousands of black Jews in Ethiopia, but Israel is not in a hurry to welcome them". Where the paper got such high figures remains a mystery.

Serge Dumont, the author of the article, further claims that Israeli authorities have a preference for Western immigrants, i.e. white immigrants ("les responsables privilégient désormais les immigrants occidentaux"). The journalist does not bother to substantiate this claim either but the implications are clear.

To emphasize the "racist" character of Israeli society, the newspaper goes on to quote a female Ethiopian management student, identified as Imanut B., who is said to have arrived in Israel in 1989 (note the irony she is "a student" and not a "street sweeper"):

"We would be treated much better if we were white and rich. In any case, we wouldn't be accused of spreading AIDS and of being parasites just fit to sweep the streets."

And she adds :

"Maybe white Israelis view us as better than Palestinians, but for them we remain poor negroes who are trying to be civilized."

It is also stated that Ethiopian Jews have not integrated well because they are poorly educated and find it difficult to integrate into Israeli "americanized society". Whatever that means is for anyone to decide, but is in keeping with the whole tone of the article: negative.

In a recent article, Le Soir - whose reporting on Israel is invariably hostile - made light of Barack Obama's positive remarks about Israel putting them down to his need to "court" Jewish American voters.

To find out more about the Falash Mura still living in Egypt:
-Major phase of Ethiopian aliyah ends, but advocates want more
-Bringing Falash Mura impugns the real Ethiopian Jews
-'Last' Falash Mura arrive, group slams gov't for leaving behind thousands of Jews
.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Serge Dumont is known to be a great lyer. He was also journalist to the Belgian weekly Le Vis/L'Express during the extreme anti-Israeli period of editor Jacques Gevers.
In 2002 he reported therein the murder of father Jacques Amateis in Bethlehem by Tzahal. He never corrected that statement. His attitude is therefor identical to most of the antisemitic sites that still report that "killing".
For the record, Jacques Amateis called himself a few hours "after his death" the Vatican to let them correct the rumor that was apparently created by Michel Sabbah, Patriarch of Jerusalem and then the world-wide president of Pax Christi.