June 05, 2011

Breaking Into Israel: Video report and interview with my Eritrean hero Kidane Isaac

My Eritean friends (L to R) Kidane Isaac, Filamon Juenist, and Domoz
 Bereket. Behind me, American pal Josh Gomes (Levinsky Park, Tel Aviv)
In the Sinai, thousands of Eritreans fleeing conscription, torture, and conflict in their East African homeland risk being shot by border guards and held ransom by people smugglers as they try to get to Israel for safe harbor.

Kidane Isaac, my gentle friend, courageous community leader, and Eritrean asylum seeker in Tel Aviv inspires me daily to act on the Torah injunction (Leviticus 19:34) —

כְּאֶזְרָח מִכֶּם יִהְיֶה לָכֶם הַגֵּר הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם, וְאָהַבְתָּ לוֹ כָּמוֹךָ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

Treat foreign residents living among you as your native-born. Love each one as yourself because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Watch "Breaking into Israel" (24 minutes) and meet Kidane (starting at minute 16).

Resources
No country for refugees, article on The Refugee Voice, in Haaretz newspaper, April 15, 2011

The African Refugee Development Center
Founded in 2004 by refugees and Israelis to help refugees and asylum seekers in Israel, ARDC provides community services and lobbies for fairer policies towards refugees.
Email: info@ardc-israel.org

The Hotline for Migrant Workers
Founded in 1998, HMW is a non-partisan, not for profit organization promoting undocumented migrant workers' and refugees' rights, and eliminating human trafficking in Israel.
Email: info@hotline.org.il

Organization for Aiding Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel
Founded in 2007, ASSAF is a non-profit organization that provides support and runs programs to protect and strengthen the African refugee community in Israel.
Email: assafaid@gmail.com

2 comments:

kidane said...

hi Tammy,

i am so happy with your safe return to ur second home USA. it is always great seeing and hearing any thing from you. i saw the blog and it is amazing one thank you so much.

i am looking for ward seeing u in person in the beautiful city of Tel-aviv, but i now i have to wait some long months, wish u all the best.

with all the heartfelt greetings,

kidane

Tamar Orvell said...

Hi Kidane!

I see you love calling me Tammy, as Josh taught you! Thanks for telling your people's story on the video and elsewhere. I am so proud of you, Filamon, Domoz, and everyone — Eritreans in Israel, Israeli volunteers, and other nationals supporting your struggle. I look forward to your launching your own blog, and I'm happy to share what I know when we meet in Tel Aviv! (With your brains and motivation, you'll probably have it all figured out long before!)

Tamar