Israelis Decry Gov't's Policy on Darfur Refugees

Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum have rightly united in their disgust at the government's policy toward Darfur refugees.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to send any Darfur refugees that cross into the Jewish State from the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt. Many of the Sudanese refugees attempt to flee Arab countries for Israel due to persecution and better economic opportunities.

Recently Israel Defense Force ("IDF") soldiers witnessed one such attempt. Several Darfur refugees were being chased by Egyptian soldiers while crossing into Israel. The Egyptians shot three of the refugees, immediately killing two of them. A fourth managed to get to the fence dividing Egypt and Israel, and began climbing it.

IDF soldiers who witnessed the shootings attempted to aid the refugee, getting a hold of his arm to help him over. But the Egyptians arrived and began pulling on the refugee's legs, and flung him back to the Egyptian side.

The IDF soldiers then watched helplessly as the Egyptians literally beat the refugee to death:

"What happened there yesterday was a lynch. These are not men, they're animals. They killed him without even using firearms...We just heard screams of pain and the sounds of beatings. Then the screams stopped."

This incident prompted Israel politicians of all political stripes to denounce the Israeli government's policy of sending refugees from Darfur back to Egypt. Opponents of the policy include Benjamin Nentanyahu of the center-right Likud; Amir Peretz of the center-left Labor; Effie Eitam of the right-wing National Religious Party; and Dov Henin of the communist Hadash Party.