Anyone who reads the Israeli papers with some frequency knows that the appropriate treatment of African refugees is an issue that is continuously being discussed in Israel from both a moral, legal, and national perspective. Does anyone believe that any such mainstream discussion is taking place in any Arab country? Indeed, take a look at a map and consider how much further refugees from Darfur or Eritrea must travel to reach Israel rather than staying in Egypt or Saudi Arabia and consider why they would endure the additional risks of traveling that further distance. The world is divided among countries that at their core care about human life and those that do not. Refugees know the difference. Contrary to what one poster writes, it is not so that there is 21st Judaism that does not care about gentiles -- there is a 21st century Jew (i.e., Israeli) who is not willing to sit idly by while his radical muslim neighbors send rockets and suicide bombers to slaughter other Jews; but that same 21st century Jew remains open to receiving even distant neighbors who legitimately face the same type of threat (ironically also from radical muslims). Wake me up when Arab countries find a similar conscience.

What exactly does this story have to do with Arab countries?

Why does a story about how Israel treats refugees have to be answered with the fact that Israel treats refugees better than Arab countries? So what? Its not like the goal is be not the worst country in the world. Rather, Israel should strive to be the best.

Having a poor refugee system is not excused because somebody else's is worse.

Any updates about the moral debates on that little issue? I am referring to those families who lived in current Israel prior to 1948. What about them?

Uhm, most of the people displaced are dead. That was some sixty years ago.

According to the Geneva Convention, when refugees emigrate for political asylum or from threat of torture, the first non-hostile country they come to is suppose to grant them an immigration hearing.

Do the Arab countries you write about have these courts already in place?

Many, many of the immigrants from eastern europe going west or/and the african nations going north emmigrate for economic reasons.

Moving to escape torture is not so different than from moving to get a decent meal.

The Arabs' short-comings in this area don't excuse the Israelis, but they do make the problem much worse.