Post by Teddy Bear on Sept 6, 2012 22:22:19 GMT
Wherever possible, the BBC goes hand in hand with one department or other of the UN, who are also all to willing to vilify Israel, regardless of real merit, or the motive of that particular department. The UN itself is never held to account for many of the totally absurd demands or claims they make, and the BBC can be counted on not to make that observation, willing to play the 3 wise monkeys.
The ludicrous story today is that the UN refugee agency has demanded that Israel admit 20 African migrants that are presently stranded along its fenced border with Egypt.
Since these migrants are on the Egyptian side of this border fence, doesn't an intelligent mind ask 'well why isn't the UN demanding that the Egyptians take then in, especially as they invariably Muslims from Eritrea or Sudan?
To which the UN representative replies:
"The most worrying thing to me is the discussion of pushing them back into Egypt, which is highly irresponsible, because if they go back to Egypt there is a high risk these people will fall in the hands of human smugglers," he said.
So what happened to the wonderful democracy that the Arab Spring was supposed to represent in Egypt, according to the BBC? Is this UN guy telling us that for some reason Egypt doesn't have any responsibility, and for so long as these migrants are willing to pay Bedouin tribesman to lead them from Cairo, through the Sinai desert to Israel, that Israel is forced to let them in. For sure the BBC doesn't highlight this point, and hopes most of its readers won;t be thinking for themselves on this issue.
What the BBC also fails to tell us in the article is that an estimated 60,000 of these illegal migrants have already entered Israel, and are causing huge problems there. The main reason to build this border fence was precisely to stop further migrants entering.
Contrast the BBC article below with the one from USA Today under it, to see how and why the BBC present it the way they do.
Here's the one from USA Today (taken from Associated Press)
The ludicrous story today is that the UN refugee agency has demanded that Israel admit 20 African migrants that are presently stranded along its fenced border with Egypt.
Since these migrants are on the Egyptian side of this border fence, doesn't an intelligent mind ask 'well why isn't the UN demanding that the Egyptians take then in, especially as they invariably Muslims from Eritrea or Sudan?
To which the UN representative replies:
"The most worrying thing to me is the discussion of pushing them back into Egypt, which is highly irresponsible, because if they go back to Egypt there is a high risk these people will fall in the hands of human smugglers," he said.
So what happened to the wonderful democracy that the Arab Spring was supposed to represent in Egypt, according to the BBC? Is this UN guy telling us that for some reason Egypt doesn't have any responsibility, and for so long as these migrants are willing to pay Bedouin tribesman to lead them from Cairo, through the Sinai desert to Israel, that Israel is forced to let them in. For sure the BBC doesn't highlight this point, and hopes most of its readers won;t be thinking for themselves on this issue.
What the BBC also fails to tell us in the article is that an estimated 60,000 of these illegal migrants have already entered Israel, and are causing huge problems there. The main reason to build this border fence was precisely to stop further migrants entering.
Contrast the BBC article below with the one from USA Today under it, to see how and why the BBC present it the way they do.
Israel urged to admit African migrants on Egypt border
Human rights groups say they have been prevented from visiting the stranded migrants
The UN's refugee agency has called on Israel to grant entry to African migrants trapped on the country's tightly controlled border with Egypt.
Around 20 people, believed to be from Eritrea, have been stuck at the fenced desert barrier for a week.
Israel's refusal to grant them asylum "is highly irresponsible", the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said.
But the Israeli Interior Ministry said it had no legal obligation to let the migrants in.
Soldiers said they had provided those stranded with food, water and shelter from the sun, but human rights groups have so far been prevented from visiting the group, the BBC'S Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem reports.
Thousands of Africans fleeing conflicts in Eritrea and Sudan have tried to cross the border in recent years, he added.
They pay Bedouin tribesmen to lead them from Cairo through the Sinai desert into Israel.
'Shut the door'
The Israeli government has started building a 260km (160-mile) barrier on its southern border with Egypt, partly in response to the growing number of refugees.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai defended Israel's decision to reject the stranded migrants.
"If I have to choose between the good of the state, its civilians and its security, I will choose that there be a fence, that they won't enter and instead return to their country," he told local media.
"Every day there are people stuck there. If there were no fence and if we weren't steadfast, there would be a million people here."
But the commissioner for the UN's refugee agency, William Tall, said the state could not "simply shut the door".
"The most worrying thing to me is the discussion of pushing them back into Egypt, which is highly irresponsible, because if they go back to Egypt there is a high risk these people will fall in the hands of human smugglers," he said.
He added that Israel was effectively violating the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
Human rights groups say they have been prevented from visiting the stranded migrants
The UN's refugee agency has called on Israel to grant entry to African migrants trapped on the country's tightly controlled border with Egypt.
Around 20 people, believed to be from Eritrea, have been stuck at the fenced desert barrier for a week.
Israel's refusal to grant them asylum "is highly irresponsible", the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said.
But the Israeli Interior Ministry said it had no legal obligation to let the migrants in.
Soldiers said they had provided those stranded with food, water and shelter from the sun, but human rights groups have so far been prevented from visiting the group, the BBC'S Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem reports.
Thousands of Africans fleeing conflicts in Eritrea and Sudan have tried to cross the border in recent years, he added.
They pay Bedouin tribesmen to lead them from Cairo through the Sinai desert into Israel.
'Shut the door'
The Israeli government has started building a 260km (160-mile) barrier on its southern border with Egypt, partly in response to the growing number of refugees.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai defended Israel's decision to reject the stranded migrants.
"If I have to choose between the good of the state, its civilians and its security, I will choose that there be a fence, that they won't enter and instead return to their country," he told local media.
"Every day there are people stuck there. If there were no fence and if we weren't steadfast, there would be a million people here."
But the commissioner for the UN's refugee agency, William Tall, said the state could not "simply shut the door".
"The most worrying thing to me is the discussion of pushing them back into Egypt, which is highly irresponsible, because if they go back to Egypt there is a high risk these people will fall in the hands of human smugglers," he said.
He added that Israel was effectively violating the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
Here's the one from USA Today (taken from Associated Press)
Israel ends stalemate with stranded African migrants
By Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press
JERUSALEM – Israel ended a stalemate Thursday with about 20 African migrants stranded along its border with Egypt for more than a week, allowing two women and a child to enter but turning the rest of the group away, officials said.
Some 60,000 Africans have entered Israel from Egypt in recent years, either fleeing persecution or searching for work. Many Israelis are concerned the continued influx is challenging the state's Jewish character, and the government recently has adopted tough measures in a bid to stanch the flow of migrants.
For the past week, a group of around 20 Eritreans had been living beside a nearly-completed border fence, where the Israeli military was providing them with food and water. Israel allowed the two women and one child to enter the country, but sent the rest to Egypt, where officials said they were arrested for allegedly crossing a border illegally.
"It is important that everyone understand that Israel is no longer a destination for infiltrators," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. He said Israel was "determined to stop the flood" of migrants.
An Egyptian intelligence security official said Egypt had agreed to allow the migrants to enter upon Israel's request. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Israel has been building a barrier along 200 kilometers (125 miles) of its border with Egypt to try to block migrants from entering the country. It has erected detention facilities and launched crackdowns in Tel Aviv's southern neighborhoods to rid the area of illegal migrants, many of whom were drawn by the hopes of finding work.
Rights groups had appealed to Israel's Supreme Court to decide the fate of the group of Eritreans that was stuck at the border, but the agreement to have them return to Egypt was reached before the Court made a decision.
Most of the African migrants entering Israel are from Sudan and Eritrea. Under international law, Israel cannot return people to those two countries because of their poor human rights records.
Israel's hardened policies have drawn criticism from rights groups who say the country is shirking its international responsibilities and sending migrants back to countries where they could face persecution. Thursday's episode was chided as well.
"It's a cynical arrangement that endangers the welfare and security of the migrants," said Ran Cohen of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, which helps migrants.
In a similar standoff last month, Israel permitted four Eritreans stranded by the border to enter after four days.
By Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press
JERUSALEM – Israel ended a stalemate Thursday with about 20 African migrants stranded along its border with Egypt for more than a week, allowing two women and a child to enter but turning the rest of the group away, officials said.
Some 60,000 Africans have entered Israel from Egypt in recent years, either fleeing persecution or searching for work. Many Israelis are concerned the continued influx is challenging the state's Jewish character, and the government recently has adopted tough measures in a bid to stanch the flow of migrants.
For the past week, a group of around 20 Eritreans had been living beside a nearly-completed border fence, where the Israeli military was providing them with food and water. Israel allowed the two women and one child to enter the country, but sent the rest to Egypt, where officials said they were arrested for allegedly crossing a border illegally.
"It is important that everyone understand that Israel is no longer a destination for infiltrators," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. He said Israel was "determined to stop the flood" of migrants.
An Egyptian intelligence security official said Egypt had agreed to allow the migrants to enter upon Israel's request. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Israel has been building a barrier along 200 kilometers (125 miles) of its border with Egypt to try to block migrants from entering the country. It has erected detention facilities and launched crackdowns in Tel Aviv's southern neighborhoods to rid the area of illegal migrants, many of whom were drawn by the hopes of finding work.
Rights groups had appealed to Israel's Supreme Court to decide the fate of the group of Eritreans that was stuck at the border, but the agreement to have them return to Egypt was reached before the Court made a decision.
Most of the African migrants entering Israel are from Sudan and Eritrea. Under international law, Israel cannot return people to those two countries because of their poor human rights records.
Israel's hardened policies have drawn criticism from rights groups who say the country is shirking its international responsibilities and sending migrants back to countries where they could face persecution. Thursday's episode was chided as well.
"It's a cynical arrangement that endangers the welfare and security of the migrants," said Ran Cohen of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, which helps migrants.
In a similar standoff last month, Israel permitted four Eritreans stranded by the border to enter after four days.