PM's wife asks Yishai to let foreign workers' kids stay

Channel 2 News reports Sara Netanyahu sent letter to interior minister requesting he come up with 'creative solutions' for 400 children slated for deportation, says, 'It's State of Israel's duty'

Ynet|Published: 08.13.10 , 22:19

The prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu sent a letter to Interior Minister Eli Yishai, asking him to prevent the deportation of 400 migrant workers' children from Israel in accordance with the government's decision from early August, Channel 2 News reported on Friday.

According to the report, she discussed the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several times, until she reached the decision to expression her opinion.

"Dear Eli, I appeal to you as a mother of two young boys and a psychologist in the public service," Netanyahu wrote. "I am asking you, from the bottom of my heart, to use the authority granted to you by the government decision and allow the vast majority of the 400 remaining children to stay in Israel.

"It is the State of Israel's duty to find a solution for these children. I would like to believe that my calls have somewhat contributed to the prime minister's stance that some 800 out of the 1,200 children should stay… I am convinced that in this case as well you can find creative solutions for this group of foreign workers' children in the frame of the government decision and the authority bestowed on you by law as interior minister, and in a manner that will not affect the immigration policies and national interests of Israel as a Jewish state," the prime minister's wife added.

It should be noted that this is the second time Sara Netanyahu request the interior minister's intervention in a certain matter. In the past, Netanyahu requested the prime minister's assistance in helping Dan Goldberg and his twin children born of a surrogate mother in India enter to Israel after encountering bureaucratic difficulties. Benjamin Netanyahu responded to his wife's request and demanded Minister Yishai intervene.

At a heated debate held in Knesset this week on the decision to deport the 400 children, Yishai explained his position. "The moment the workers see the hypocrisy here they understand that the criterion is a 'baby visa'."

According to Yishai, there are thousands of children, and not just the estimated 1,200 – who are being hidden away in order to receive visas in the future. During the session a harsh exchange of words broke out between Yishai and MK Ilan Gilon (Meretz), who called him "racist and primitive".

Yishai responded by saying, "Their grandparents over there want to see them. What? Are you more merciful than me? An Education Ministry committee with legal representatives was established and made the decision to keep 800 and send the rest back to their countries of origin… No one is deporting children; everyone can clearly see that the parents are using their children. We must tell the kids the trip is over."