Flood of Israeli Refugees to Canada Embarrasses Israeli Government

By John Dirlik

Ottawa's decision to grant refugee status to hundreds of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada has sparked a war of words between officials of the two countries. More than 2,500 Israelis claiming persecution in their homeland have sought asylum in Canada in the past two years, according to the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board. More than 300 already have been accepted as refugees. These figures place Israel among the top 10 countries from which refugees are coming to Canada, along with Iran, Somalia and the former Yugoslavia.

Most of the Israelis seeking refugee status in Canada are originally from the former Soviet Union. In order to have their claims accepted by Canadian immigration authorities, they have to prove that they would face state-sanctioned persecution in Israel.

In one such case, an immigrant to Israel from Ukraine charged that Israeli police refused to protect her from a man who forced her into prostitution after employing her as a massage therapist. Israeli police refused to act even after she was raped by a customer and by her employer.

Israeli officials vehemently denied the refugee claims of persecution.

In another case, a woman was harassed by neighbors who threw bottles at her family, and was sexually attacked where she worked as a waitress. The police also refused to act. Canadian officials ruled in both cases that this amounted to state-sanctioned persecution, since Israeli authorities repeatedly failed to respond.

Embarrassed Israeli officials, upset at the smear on Israel's self-declared reputation as a democracy that respects human rights, vehemently denied the refugee claims of persecution. "It is absurd and ridiculous that holders of citizenship in an open Western democracy like Israel are benefiting from the status of refugee in Canada," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Rafi Gamzou.

Eli Yerushalmi of the Israeli consulate in Ottawa said that no one coming from Israel has grounds to be considered a bona fide refugee. "These people [Soviet Jews] came to Israel on the way to somewhere else," he said. "They are using the refugee claim as an excuse to get into Canada quickly. Of course you can understand that it doesn't look good and it's not right, it's simply not true." He conceded that some newly arrived immigrants may face harassment in Israel, but said there is "no persecution whatsoever."

Responding to Israeli protests, Canada's immigration minister said he will not let Israel tell Ottawa what refugees to accept any more than he would allow Iraq to dictate Canada's refugee policy. "I don't think it's appropriate for another government to tell our government...who is a refugee or who is not," said Sergio Marchi. "How would it be if Saddam Hussain were to write a letter to the prime minister and say, 'Look, we're not producing refugees'?"

Canadian Meeting Angers Israelis

Canada's ambassador to Israel has rejected Israeli complaints concerning a meeting between a Canadian cabinet minister and members of the Palestinian Autonomy Council in East Jerusalem. The meeting at Orient House in East Jerusalem was sharply criticized by several Israeli ministers, and resulted in the passing of a Knesset bill which would forbid future Palestinian diplomatic activity in areas not approved by Israeli authorities.

Regarding the meeting as part of an attempt to bolster Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem by turning Orient House into a de facto embassy, Israeli officials denounced the meeting as a violation of the Israeli-PLO accord which stipulates that all offices of the Palestinian Authority must be in the Gaza Strip or Jericho.

"It is not acceptable for a foreign government or body to be active within the borders of another country without that country's permission," said Justice Minister David Libai. The proposed law, which is expected to be approved by the Knesset, will make it illegal for the Palestinian Authority to conduct political activities in areas other than the Gaza Strip or Jericho.

The July 11 meeting between Canadian Public Housing Minister David Dingwall and members of the Palestinian Autonomy Council was to discuss housing needs in the Gaza Strip. It was to take place in Gaza, but was moved to Jerusalem when Dingwall became ill and chose not to make the 90-minute trip.

Canadian Ambassador to Israel Norman Spector dismissed the Israeli complaints, pointing out that Canadian officials have been meeting Palestinian representatives in Jerusalem for many years. He warned that any attempt to ban contacts with Palestinians in East Jerusalem would be opposed by the international community, which does not recognize Israel's claim to the Holy City. "With the exception of Costa Rica and Zaire, no country in the world—including Canada—has accepted Israel's annexation of Jerusalem," said Spector. "If Israel does outlaw such meetings, Ottawa will have to study the legislation to determine Canada's position."

Pressed on Israeli radio on whether Canada would stop meeting with Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem if asked to by the Israeli government, Spector replied, "We don't generally take our instructions from the Israeli government as to how we conduct our foreign policy."

Canadian Jewish Congress Concerned Over Liberal Party Nominee

The Quebec Liberal Party's nomination for the upcoming provincial elections of a former union head who has been an outspoken critic of Israel has upset some Jewish organizations and pro-Israel members of Quebec's National Assembly.

As head of the Centrale de l'Enseignement du Quebec (CEQ) teacher's union, Yvon Charbonneau provoked pro-Israel groups in 1983 when he bitterly denounced the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and asked union members to put up posters in all public schools and colleges referring to the "genocidal war of the Israeli government" against Palestinians. He also was a leading spokesman for a coalition of organizations that held a mass demonstration in Montreal to protest a visit by former Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon.

Charbonneau's actions—at a time when few public figures openly criticized Israel—infuriated Zionist groups and prompted then-opposition member of the National Assembly Herbert Marx to label him "an enemy of the Jewish people."

Since that time, however, Charbonneau has not had a high profile nor has he made any public comments on the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Although Charbonneau's political views were voiced over a decade ago, the Quebec branch of the Canadian Jewish Congress said the Liberal Party's choice "troubles us," and that the Congress will be closely monitoring the situation. "The comments that Mr. Charbonneau made in and around 1983 are a matter of public record and, frankly, the Jewish community at the time found these comments to be reprehensible," said director Michael Crelinsten.

Robert Libman, an independent MNA in the D'arcy McGee riding (district) of Montreal, said the Liberal party made a "big mistake" by nominating Charbonneau "before determining if he has changed his views" about Israel. Libman said the Jewish community is "extremely disappointed" by the nomination and predicted that the Liberal Party may lose support in ridings with sizable Jewish populations.

Libman's and Crelinsten's comments elicited an angry response from the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR). The Ottawa-based group issued a statement saying both men should apologize to Charbonneau and to Arab Canadians for their "anti-Palestinian bias [that is] unworthy of a candidate for public office or an official of a responsible Jewish organization."

John Dirlik, a free-lance writer from Quebec, writes on Canadian and Middle East affairs.