TEL AVIV: On Thursday, Israeli officials announced that illegal entrants and undocumented workers from the Ivory Coast will be allotted a two week time window to leave the country. The announcement came two weeks after the government's decision to begin deporting South Sudanese nationals. Though presently there are an estimated 60,000 illegal African immigrants in Israel, it is believed that no more than 2,000 are Ivorian. The majority of the immigrants are Sudanese and Eritrean, together compromising nearly 50,000. Interior Minister Eli Yishai released a statement directed towards Ivorian immigrants. “You have two weeks to leave," he said. “Whoever does so will be eligible for a subsidy. Whoever does not will be thrown out." Subsidies of $500 will be provided to Ivorian adults, and $100 for each of their children, Yishai said. Those who do not leave, however, will be imprisoned. He went on to elaborate on the government's plans to deport all African immigrants. “Infiltrators, starting now, will be thrown directly into jail. I insist that the Eritrean and Sudanese migrants will all eventually be thrown out of the country… the situation in Eritrea is better than in Sderot and southern Israel," Yishai stated, referring to the frequent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip that hits Sderot and the surrounding area. In early July, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu met with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara in order to sculpt a plan to return Ivorian immigrants to their country. Ivory Coast is only recently returning to calm after a civil war that lasted from late 2010 until the middle of 2011. The UN reported mass violence against civilians and innumerable human rights violations during the fighting. President Ouattara and the Ivory Coast government want Ivorian immigrants to return in order to signal to the world that the country has achieved stability. On Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court rejected a petition requesting refugee status for Ivorians. Yishai went on to say that the decision would help restore “a sense of security to the residents of Israeli neighborhoods." Many Jewish Israelis have objected to Israel's mass deportations of African immigrants. Because Israel was founded by immigrants and war refugees, they argue, the state must have compassion for those who are seeking refuge from persecution. Last month, the homes and restaurants of several Sudanese and Eritreansin south Tel Aviv were attacked by mobs of right-wing protesters following anti-immigrant speeches delivered by several Israeli Knesset members. Several nongovernmental organizations and humanitarian agencies have urged the Israeli government to renew the refugee status of Ivorians, citing UN reports that indicate the persistence of widespread political violence and instability in Ivory Coast. Yishai and many Israeli politicians argue that illegal African workers are a burden on the economy. Jabr Basal, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, told Bikyamasr.com that the decision was an example of the deep-rooted racism that characterizes the government and its supporters. “Racism is the point of departure for a government founded on ethnic and religious identity," he started. “On one hand, it is a way to deflect attention from the problems of Arab Palestinians and their continued persecution by the state." “On the other hand, the government is scared of that the social justice demonstrations of last summer will start up again, angrier this time. They want to find a way to blame economic problems on African refugees. It's a game. But if you walk around Tel Aviv, you see that bars and restaurants and cafes they work at still need more labor." “I think the government should absorb them until it is safe to return to their homelands," he concluded. Most illegal entrants their families travel in brutal conditions through the Egyptian Sinai in order to enter Israel. Many die during the journey, or are shot by Egyptian border guards. The Israeli government is presently building a security barrier on the border with the Sinai that will stretch nearly 200 kilometers.
