Yvette Cooper lauds Israeli aid for migrants
YVETTECOOPER,thechairof Labour’s refugee taskforce, has praised the Jewish community for leading the way in responding to the migrant crisis.
MsCoopersaidthat“thedesiretoprovide sanctuary” was particularly strong amongst British Jews, attributing it to “your experience as refugees and the plight of your own persecution”.
Speaking during an International Women’s Day debate on women refugees, hosted at Parliament by the Board of Deputies, the former Labour minister said: “I’ve noticed it in the work of the rabbis that I’ve met visiting Calais who were there providing support.”
The MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford also praised the work of Israeli-based humanitarian aid agency IsraAID as one of the first charities to respond to the crisis on the Greek Island of Lesbos.
She said: “IsraAID were the ones doing the most to provide a lifesaving response … The work they are doing to save people’s lives is inspiring.”
Also speaking at the debate was IsraAID’s global programmes manager Dr Naama Gorodischer.
She explained to the JC that refugees from Syria were at times reluctant to Yvette Cooper ( with Naama Gorodischer accept aid from Israeli workers.
She said: “They notice our star of David logo and they ask us where we are from. There is usually a moment’s silence when they process it.
“They say things like I’m running away from Assad who is supposed to be my protector and I’ve found myself in the arms of my enemy but it is my enemy who is helping me. It’s very powerful when that sinks in. It definitely feels like we are building bridges.”
Speaking at an interfaith panel on Tuesday, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said refugees needed to be helped regardless of whether they were fleeing oppressionorwereeconomicmigrants. He said: “Right now, there are people knocking on the door of Europe, they are starving. Some of them could have drowned, their lives need to be saved.”