Israel Says to Take in 100 Syrian Orphans
Israel will take in 100 Syrian orphans despite the two countries officially being at war, the interior ministry said Thursday, in the first such move since the uprising began in Syria.
The children will be given temporary documents for four years and later receive full citizenship, a ministry spokesman said, confirming a report on Channel 10 television.
The report said authorities will seek to have the orphans adopted mostly by Arab Israelis, who represent around 17.5 percent of the population of the majority Jewish country.
Family members of the orphans, such as brothers and sisters, could also later be granted refugee status.
Israel will coordinate the arrival of children with international organisations working in Syria, where the civil war has killed more than 310,000 people since it began in 2011.
Gal Lusky, head of the Israel Flying Aid charity, said initial hopes had been for 1,000 orphans but welcomed the move as the result of a wide coalition of political bodies and charities.
"It is important to care for the needy. If some good Christians hadn't done the same for us (Jews) during the Second World War we would be a lot fewer people here."
She said she believed it was the first time Israel had offered asylum to residents of a country with which the Jewish state has no diplomatic relations.
Israel and Syria have been officially at war for decades, though the border between the two countries was largely quiet until the Syrian conflict broke out in 2011.
Since then occasional stray rockets have crossed the border into Israel, sparking reprisals.
The Jewish state has allegedly struck a number of military sites in and around Damascus, several of them targeting Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an Israeli archfoe and ally of the Syrian regime.
26 January 2017, 15:04
111
Israel gets to pick and choose the most harmless refugees, whereas the rest of the world has to every Salafist or North African hoodlum who enters. Yet we are supposed to think Israel are the heroic ones.
26 January 2017, 15:43
24
The UN General Assembly should vote to condemn Israel for this.
26 January 2017, 17:21
29
They'd use the civilians for target practice, oh wait! They already do.
26 January 2017, 17:22
14
I don't see Iran taking on any, Lebanon's stuck with your mess.
26 January 2017, 19:18
15
how about the same route the iranians and the shias of afghanistan and pakistan used to come from iran into syria? or your shia once cell powered brain cannot work it out.
27 January 2017, 04:21
16
so the syrian refugees are fleeing syria through euro embassies ya troll? Yep, they are getting their visas from euro embassies and then boarding luxury ocean liners and landing in Europe.
Filthy Iranian lousy mouthpiece.
27 January 2017, 08:20
16
"keep showing your utter cluelessness in geography. which is easier? flee syria via the various euro embassies or cross the iraqi minefield just to satisfy your dumb wish of seeing syrians in iran?"
Why doesn't your caring and loving president have his victorious army escort these refugees to Latikia and have them loaded on iranian and russian ships and get them transported to Iran? Have you thought about that ya filth?
Death by lethal injection is your ultimate reward!
27 January 2017, 08:27
16
Not only Mr. Flamethrower has earned my respect and admiration for his valuable contribution to the forum but what impressed me most is his vast geographical knowledge and firm belief that transportation and moving people can only take place by land through isis-infested iraq or across iraqi minefields.
I do respect him.
26 January 2017, 18:42
16
flamesrower!!!! i could not believe my ears when I heard my Nepalese house maid scream : "Sir Sir flamesrower is online". I rushed to see and there you are! She adores you flamesrower and says you are somesingly anazar.
26 January 2017, 19:16
17
flamethrower........ 54 minutes ago
maybe because, to arrive in iran, syrian refugees will have to cross the isis-infested iraq? just sayin'..
you mean the thousands of iranians and shia afghanis and Pakistanis had to cross isis-infected iraq on their way to syria?
what a an idiot!
26 January 2017, 20:24
141
The Israelis have orphaned, killed and maimed thousands of Arab children and now for their love of Arabs, they'll be taking in 100 or so Syrian orphans.
Just a P R on their behalf.
26 January 2017, 20:58
111
What about your Arabs of the GCC ya texas, do they have a hand in killing and creating thousands of orphans in Syria and elsewhere?
Have they taken any orphaned Syrian children? Just asking!
I do wish you well.
27 January 2017, 03:11
16
always the 'Christians' on this come to the defense of the mullahs of the Islamic Republic of Iran : nonabel and flamerotten:)))))
27 January 2017, 03:13
19
nonabel ya fake,
stop beating around the bush: Iran will not take one single Syrian because the refugees are sunnis.
27 January 2017, 04:32
26
nonabel. 8 hours ago
The Israelis have orphaned, killed and maimed thousands of Arab children and now for their love of Arabs, they'll be taking in 100 or so Syrian orphans.
Just a P R on their behalf.
Why doesn't your beloved Iran play a similar PR job just for once and take not 100, say 50?
Btw, I read on the other article that you "do not have an ounce of Shia in you neither your biological parents". I believed you on that article and I believe you on this article.
Labayka!
27 January 2017, 07:29
16
nonabel ya troll
Israel decided to take 100 Syrian orphans ( orphaned by your islamic republic of the mullahs ) and you jump to criticize it. When asked why doesn't your Iran take them, you answer "why doesn't KSA take them".
Do you see your idiotic logic? It would have been wiser on your part to keep your iranian mouth shut and remain 'Christian' for the day.... at least for one day.
27 January 2017, 04:25
17
the sectarian iranian always digs his own grave! Iran is able to transfer hundreds of thousands of mercenaries to Syria but cannot take in Syrian refugees because according to to the takiah heretic they have to cross the 'isis-infested iraq'...!
27 January 2017, 05:04
18
the sick iranian troll says : "maybe because, to arrive in iran, syrian refugees will have to cross the isis-infested iraq?"
Lebanon has more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees. What prevents your country Iran from sending its mighty rusty navy to transfer some of them back to Bandar Khomeini port? Or is Lebanon also infested with iraqi land and sea mines?
Take a Cyanide pill and Choke.
27 January 2017, 07:24
17
Liberty, you nailed the troll ((((coitus.interruptus)))) aka flamethrower aka mowaten.
27 January 2017, 10:29
16
another day, another year, another January, another millennium as flamethrower embarks on yet another journey to pursue his childhood dream to achieve excellence in trolling.
27 January 2017, 10:48
14
hahahahahaha! nobody i mean nobody can argue and present facts like you do flamesrower! no wonder my Nepalese domestic helper and friend adores you and thinks you are somesing anazar!!
27 January 2017, 16:41
01
Its a bit confusing to me why after 15 years of civil war in Lebanon not a single refugee came out of Lebanon. few years civil war in Syria and half the population became refugees...
28 January 2017, 01:13
01
thank you Texas for clarifying what is otherwise an obvious matter.You took the words out of my mouth.
