Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Dovid Lau spoke about the issue of Ukrainian refugees which has been making the headlines in recent days, with many left-wing and centrist politicians fiercely opposing Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked’s plan to impose a strict quota on the number of non-Jewish Ukrainian refugees Israel will accept.
In an interview with Reshet Bet on Sunday, Rav Lau said although Israel must preserve its identity as a Jewish state, it first must open its doors to any refugees in need.
“People who can’t find a place in another country – Israel must accept them until they can return to their homes,” Rav Lau said. “There should never be a situation in which a person is fleeing from war and he has nowhere to go, no safe shore.”
Rav Lau noted that there’s a difference between granting asylum to refugees and granting residency and citizenship.
“These are two very different things,” he asserted. “And a nation-state definitely has the right and obligation to maintain it as such. But first of all, it must open its doors.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Esteemed Rabbi. Your humanity has won my admiration.
Rabbi Lau, there are enough christian lands for this not to be in Israel…you open your home…
Esteemed Rabbi. Your humanity has me wondering if it’s misguided and misplaced!?
With the Ukraine UN voting history in the last couple years, maybe we should allow the Ukrainian people the settle in Gaza and Ramallah.
This is clearly not in compliance with Daas Torah . The Ukrianian nation throughtout the generations were known for their exteme hatred for Klal Yisroel , sadisticly and brutally murdering hundreds of thousands of yidden .The rule is כל המרחם על האכזר סופו להזאכזר על רחמנים . Have we not learned any from the Haftora of Parshas Zachor ?
Rabbi, what about the commandment in the Torah of “Lo Techanem”
4) רמב”ם הלכות עבודה זרה פרק י
א…..ואסור לרחם עליהם, שנאמר “ולא תחונם” (שם). לפיכך אם ראה גוי עובד עבודה זרה אובד או טובע בנהר, לא יעלנו; ראהו לקוח למות, לא יצילנו. אבל לאבדו בידו, או לדוחפו לבור, וכיוצא בזה–אסור, מפני שאינו עושה עימנו מלחמה.
ב במה דברים אמורים, בגוי. …..
ג [ב] מכאן אתה למד שאסור לרפאות עובדי עבודה זרה, אפילו בשכר; ואם היה מתיירא מהן, או שהיה חושש משום איבה–מרפא בשכר, אבל בחינם אסור. וגר תושב–הואיל ואתה מצווה להחיותו, מרפאין אותו בחינם.
…. It is forbidden to have mercy upon them, as [Deuteronomy 7/2] states: “Do not show compassion” (be gracious to them).
Accordingly, if we see one who engages in foreign worship being swept away or drowning in the river, we do not help him. If we see that his life is in danger, we do not save him. It is, however, forbidden to cause one of them to sink or push him into a pit or the like, since he is not waging war against us.
To whom do the above apply? To gentiles (non righteous gentiles meaning those without ger toshav status). …..
Rabbi what about the mitzvah, “Lo Yeshvu BeArtzecha” they shall not be in your land.
אֲבָל בִּזְמַן שֶׁיַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּקִּיפָה עֲלֵיהֶם אָסוּר לָנוּ לְהַנִּיחַ עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים בֵּינֵינוּ. וַאֲפִלּוּ יוֹשֵׁב יְשִׁיבַת עַרְאַי אוֹ עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם בִּסְחוֹרָה לֹא יַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצֵנוּ אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל עָלָיו שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְּנֵי נֹחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג לג) “לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאַרְצְךָ” אֲפִלּוּ לְפִי שָׁעָה.רמב”ם הלכות עבודה זרה פרק י
When, however, Israel is in power over them, it is forbidden for us to allow one engaged in foreign worship among us.
Even a temporary resident or a merchant who travels from place to place should not be allowed to pass through our land until he accepts the seven universal laws commanded to Noah and his descendants, as [Exodus 23:33] states: “They shall not dwell in your land” – i.e., even temporarily.
Rabbi and then there is an understanding of politics.
If 100,000 Ukranians (goyim) come into the country , how will you ever get rid of them when the leftists and courts will block any effort to throw them out and then the left will get another 5 seats in the Knesset. These goyim care nothing about the Rabinute and our laws. They will vote to abolish them.
Rabbi and then there is a concern for the Jews. Ukranians have a history of vicious antisemitism. Do you want to see Jews beaten up and synagogues burned? Did Jews run from Europe to face hatred here.
> not in compliance with Daas Torah .
it is a controversial topic indeed, but telling the _chief_ Rabbi that he is not following daas Torah is questionable, even if you don’t hold by him.
The EU and NATO have more than enough resources, and willingness, to take in Ukrainian refugees. They also have several countries whose languages are similar to those spoken in Ukraine, and whose culture and religion are are similar. Israel should not be providing anything other than temporary asylum for non-Jewish Ukrainians, in part since accepting goyim with no connection to Yiddishkeit or Eretz Yisrael raises the question of why Israel doesn’t allow Palestinians. The zionists claim are based on Israel trying to be a Jewish state, and very few Ukrainians are Jews.
I hear a lot of vitriol about Ukrainian “goyim”, but we sure whine a lot when we’re persecuted and countries don’t let us in. Can’t have it both ways.
yes, i agree with akuperma