Re: Teaching Syrians to hate.
While Israel has tremendous sympathy for the plight of these refugees who are living under harrowing conditions, what E.G. Johnson fails to consider is that Israel is a state of about eight million people and is equivalent in size to New Jersey.
Israel lives in the most hostile and increasingly chaotic region in the world and must maintain security when faced with terrorists along its borders and extremists posing as refugees. Israel also wishes to maintain its Jewish character as the world's only Jewish state and let us not forget that Israel is officially at war with Syria.
That does not mean that Israel does not care for the humanitarian needs of these refugees or is indifferent to their suffering, quite to the contrary.
In fact, Israel's (and the Jewish people's) tradition of assisting refugees continues as field hospitals have been set up along Israel's border with Syria where over 1,000 Syrians have been treated, many who received life-saving surgeries.
Perhaps a more practical solution would be for Arab countries in the Gulf to accept these refugees.
Keep in mind, the Arab world's six wealthiest nations: Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain, all have accepted zero refugees.
Mike Fegelman, executive director
HONESTReporting Canada
Toronto
