Israel suspends new relocation agreement for African migrants

JERUSALEM, Middle East - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he was suspending a new agreement with the UN refugee agency to relocate thousands of African migrants, as right-wing pressure mounted on him to scrap the deal.

Hours after announcing the new arrangement, which would also give thousands of other migrants the right to stay in Israel, Netanyahu posted a message on his Facebook page saying he was putting its implementation on hold until further review.

The fate of nearly 37,000 Africans in Israel has posed a moral dilemma for a state founded as a haven for Jews from persecution and a national home. The right-wing government has been under pressure from its nationalist voter base to expel the migrants.

According to the agreement, about 16,250 of about 37,000 African migrants, most of them from Eritrea and Sudan, would be relocated to Western nations while others would be allowed to stay in Israel.

At a news conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu praised the new agreement reached with the UN Refugee Agency, or UNHCR. But in the hours that followed the announcement, he faced growing calls on social and mainstream media to abolish the deal.

Some Israelis accused him of caving to left-wing pressure and betraying the residents of south Tel Aviv, a poor part of the city which has attracted the largest migrant community, changing its ethnic makeup and enraging some of its inhabitants who want the migrants out.

"I am attentive to you, especially to the residents of south Tel Aviv," Netanyahu said on Facebook, adding that he planned to meet with local representatives on Tuesday.

"In the meantime I am suspending the agreement's implementation and after I meet with the representatives I will bring it forward for further review," Netanyahu said. Implementing the signed agreement was expected to take five years and Netanyahu's backtrack was largely seen in Israel as an attempt to appease his voter base and keep its support at a time of political uncertainty.

The four-term prime minister faces one of the greatest challenges to his career yet - he is under police investigation in three different corruption cases. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.

Naftali Bennett, leader of the Israeli far-right party Jewish Home, a key member of Netanyahu's coalition government and a competitor for Israel's right-wing votes, said on Twitter the agreement would encourage more people to enter the country illegally and called on Netanyahu to overturn it.

His calls were soon echoed by members of Netanyahu's own Likud party.

Pressure

The UNHCR said a deal was signed with Israel but did not name the countries that would accept the migrants.

It said it would "facilitate the departure to third countries to be determined of some 16,000 Eritreans and Sudanese under various programs, including sponsorship, resettlement, family reunion and labor migration schemes, while others will be receiving a suitable legal status in Israel".

Netanyahu named Germany, Italy and Canada as examples of countries that would accept the migrants.

Reuters - AP