Army bars soldiers from volunteering with migrant kids

The Israeli army has stopped soldiers from volunteering with a group that assists African migrants in Tel Aviv, Channel 10 News reported, after residents complained the military was supporting a group with a far-left agenda.

A number of soldiers serving in Military Intelligence had recently been doing volunteer work with the Elifelet organization which helps immigrant children in south Tel Aviv.

Residents who have long complained of the influx of poverty-stricken illegal immigrants in their neighborhoods, voiced anger at the soldiers’ actions, saying they were effectively working for a “radical left-wing” group and backing illegal immigration.

The army has subsequently suspended volunteer work with the group as it looks into the matter. No final decision has been made.

Elifelet is a non-profit organization that says it helps hundreds of children from migrant families who are suffering from “different levels of hunger and physical distress due to poverty.” It aims to provide food and care for such children. It also claims to protect migrant kids from “racial persecution.”