AJC Regrets Cancellation of Israel-UN Agreement on African Migrants

News provided by

Apr 03, 2018, 02:00 ET

NEW YORK, April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, expressed regret that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has cancelled an agreement aimed at resolving the status of African migrants.

AJC had welcomed yesterday the announcement by the prime minister of the agreement between the Israeli government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to arrange for resettlement of about half of the migrants to Western nations, while Israel would grant the remainder official status as temporary residents. The total number of migrants, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan, is estimated to be 35,000 to 39,000.

"The challenges Israelis face regarding the migrants who arrived in Israel uninvited are enormously complex. Yet, Prime Minster Netanyahu's summary cancellation of the proposed migrant deal, a positive step towards resolving the matter, is unfortunate," said AJC CEO David Harris. "A solution still is urgently needed that is good for migrants, and good for Israel."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee