At cabinet meeting, coalition’s left flank to push for raising quota of Ukrainian refugees

During tomorrow’s cabinet meeting, left-wing members of the government are expected to push for raising the cap on the number of non-Jewish Ukrainian refugees allowed to stay in Israel during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Meretz party says its ministers will demand that Israel “give refuge to all refugees.”

“No quotas, without differentiation of religion, race, or gender,” the party writes on its Twitter account. “This is our basic duty as Israelis and human beings.”

Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai will demand during the meeting that a ministerial committee be formed to decide on Israel’s refugee policy.

“Israel doesn’t have a defined and clear immigration policy. The refugee crisis from Ukraine requires a government decision that is agreed upon by all the different elements of the government,” Shai, a member of the Labor party, is quoted as saying.

He adds: “The State of Israel, the state of the Jewish people, must extend a hand to refugees in Europe.”