The
Reverend Dr. Deedee M. Coleman,
President Council of Baptist Pastors
of Detroit and Vicinity, Inc. and to
her right is The Reverend Kenneth
James Flowers, Chair The
Ecumenical/Interfaith Committee
along with a host of Detroit area
Baptist Pastors join together to
condemn the racist policies of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, targeting Africans from
Eritrea and South Sudan seeking
asylum in Israel. (Photo by HB
Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)
African
asylum
seekers
and
human
rights
activists
protest
against
deportation
in front
of the
Rwandan
Embassy
in
Herzliya,
on
January
22,
2018. (Tomer
Neuberg/Flash90)
Baptist
Pastors
in metro
Detroit
condemn
Israeli
Gov.
policy
against
Africans
seeking
asylum
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
Last
week,
the
Council
of
Baptist
Pastors
of
Detroit
and
Vicinity,
Inc.
(Council)
issued a
media
statement
condemning
what
appears
to be
the
racist
policies
of the
Israeli
Government
and its
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu,
targeting
Africans
from
Eritrea
and
South
Sudan
seeking
asylum
in
Israel.
Since,
the
press
received
the
Council’s
media
statement,
we will
not be
redundant.
As a
result
of some
new
developments
in
recent
days, we
now
issue
this
updated
media
statement.
On last
Friday,
an
Appeals
Court in
Israel
ruled
that
Eritreans
who fled
military
service
in
Eritrea
and came
to
Israel
have
grounds
to be
considered
asylum
seekers
or
refugees.
This
recent
court
decision
could
affect
thousands
of
Eritreans
in a
positive
way
because
under
international
law,
Israel
would
have to
take
them in.
However,
it
appears
the
Netanyahu
Government
will
appeal
this
ruling,
causing
the
Eritreans'
status
to
remain
in
limbo.
This
is yet
another
reason
why The
Council
of
Baptist
Pastors
of
Detroit
and
Vicinity,
Inc.
speaks
out
against
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
and the
Israeli
Government.
Let us
be
perfectly
clear,
we love
the
state of
Israel
and
affirm
it as
"the
holy
land"
and
remain
in
solidarity
with the
vast
majority
of the
Jewish
people.
We the
Council,
who have
traveled
to
Israel,
upheld
Israel’s
right to
exist,
lobbied
for its
causes,
believes
in the
two-state
solution
and
believes
in the
Jewish
State,
is
gravely
disappointed
in the
way the
government
is
treating
the
38,000
African
immigrants
and
refugees.
We the
Council
of
Baptist
Pastors
of
Detroit
and
Vicinity,
Inc.
cannot
condone
racist
statements
and
policies
from
Prime
Minister
Netanyahu
and his
government,
no more
than we
can
condone
President
Donald
Trump
and his
racist
policies
against
African
Americans,
Mexicans,
and our
Muslim
brothers
and
sisters.
This
issue
has
caused
tremendous
anguish
among
Jews in
Israel
and
around
the
world,
the
Council
stands
with and
recognizes
many
Israelis,
American
Jews,
Jewish
groups,
Rabbis
and
other
Jewish
leaders
who have
strongly
urged
the
Israeli
Government
to
change
its
plans
and
policies
to
deport
thousands
of
Africans.
We also
recognize
Prime
Minister
Netanyahu
continues
to fan
the
flames
of
dissension
as
illustrated
in a
statement
he made
to The
Knesset,
the
Israeli
Parliament.
According
to a
recent
USA
Today
article,
he said
Africans
who
arrived
in
Israel
in
recent
years,
"… posed
a real
threat
to the
future
of the
State of
Israel
as a
Jewish
and
democratic
state."
Netanyahu
said
this
because
the
current
African
asylum
seekers
are
overwhelmingly
Muslim
and
Christian
from
Eritrea
and
Sudan,
who
chose to
come to
Israel
because
of its
geographical
proximity
and
reputation
as a
liberal
democracy.
Furthermore,
according
to Dror
Sadot,
spokesperson
for the
Hotline
for
refugees
and
migrants,
an
Israeli
Human
Rights
group,
"Israel
has
granted
asylum
to only
nine
African
refugees,
one of
the
lowest
acceptance
rates
among
industrialized
democracies."
It has
further
been
reported
that
"only
African
refugees
are
required
to
attend
separate
pre-schools.”
And,
last
May, the
Deposit
Law was
established
for all
Africans
that
work in
Israel.
Under
this
law,
Israel
requires
that 20%
of
African
asylum
seekers'
salaries
are
deposited
into a
fund
that
will be
released
to them
only, if
they
relocate
from
Israel.
This is
blatant
racism
on the
part of
the
Israeli
Government.
Therefore,
as men
and
women of
Faith,
who love
Israel
and are
connected
to the
land
because
of our
Lord and
Savior,
Jesus
the
Christ,
we
wholeheartedly
condemn
these
racist
policies
and call
on Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
and the
Israeli
Government
to stop
this
unjust
treatment
of the
Eritreans
and
Sudanese
asylum
seekers.
Furthermore,
we call
upon the
Prime
Minister
and
Israeli
Government
to grant
asylum
to these
Africans
based on
last
Friday’s
court
decision,
and to
be true
to who
we know
you are:
A
democracy
of
compassion,
ordained
by God
Almighty.
You are
Israel,
the only
democracy
in the
Middle
East and
a
shining
light to
the
world.
According
to
Exodus
22:21,
Prime
Minister
Netanyahu
and the
Israeli
government,
you are
commanded
– "Do
not
mistreat
a
foreigner,
for you
were
foreigners
in
Egypt."For
Kingdom
Sake,
The
Reverend
Dr.
Deedee
M.
Coleman,
President
Council
of
Baptist
Pastors
of
Detroit
and
Vicinity,
Inc.
(and)
The
Reverend
Kenneth
James
Flowers,
Chair
The
Ecumenical/Interfaith
Committee
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