Cabinet ministers take colleagues to task for criticizing Israel’s refugee policy

Right-wing ministers, in an ongoing cabinet meeting, call out their left-wing and centrists colleagues for criticizing the government’s refugee policy in recent days.

“Enough with the self-flagellation. We are going above and beyond what any country that does not border Ukraine has done,” says Agriculture Minister Oded Forer, according to selectively leaked quotes now appearing in Hebrew media.

“That’s correct,” says Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked. “The government and the ministers should boast and praise the absorption operation. There is no other country that is absorbing immigrants at such a scale.”

While she announced last week that Israel is prepared to take in 100,000 refugees who are eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return, in practice, Israel has taken in over 6,000 refugees, with only half of them eligible for citizenship. Shaked capped the number of refugees ineligible for citizenship at 5,000 but later announced that relatives of those 5,000 would also be granted entry, amid public outcry over the stringency of the policy.

Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman also calls out those who have criticized the policy, saying, “When Israel was under fire, we did not see Europe speak out in our favor.”

Just yesterday, Liberman said that Israel should take in anyone who seeks to come here while Ukrainians remain under Russian fire.

Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata calls out a number of colleagues who she says are now supportive of letting in Ukrainian refugees after being vehemently against the prospect when those seeking to enter the country were coming from Africa.