2009-02-18 : “Israel Diary - In the Presence of Someone Special”

February 18, 2009

Israel Diary - In the Presence of Someone Special


Clearly one of the most intense meetings we held while in Israel was with Yohannes Bayu, the founder of the African Refugee Development Center. Himself a political refugee who escaped Ethiopia and arrived in Israel in 1997 on a tourist visa, Yohannes found a less than warm welcome in his adopted country despite Christian Ethiopians' positive feelings about Israel. As we heard his family’s story of torture, imprisonment, harassment, and “unspeakable horrors” in their native country it was hard to keep in mind that what we were hearing was not fiction but a real life experience shared no doubt by thousands of other people living in parts of Africa today. While some in his family escaped to other countries, Yohannes was drawn to Israel—the country he heard his mother mention in her daily prayers.

It took five years and a Supreme Court order for Yohannes to finally achieve political refugee status and it was his very personal experiences that led him to respond to the plight of the thousands of African refugees who have arrived in Israel over the past few years. Those who escape through Egypt, if they are not shot by soldiers in that country, are immediately picked up by Israeli authorities and imprisoned. When the prison is full, they are put on a bus and taken to Tel Aviv where they are discharged near the old bus station and the beautiful Levinsky Park. It was this humanitarian crisis to which Yohannes responded. This gentle soul is no doubt a man of outstanding character and selflessness. While we acknowledge the political storm surrounding the African refugees and whether Israel should be providing for their welfare, we cannot ignore the fact that they have escaped to avoid certain death or imprisonment and that they are there and should not be ignored.

Our time with Yohannes included visits to three of the shelters ARDC runs. His mostly-volunteer staff provides clothing, food, medical care, some basic education components…whatever it takes to make the refugees’ lives a bit safer and more comfortable.

While there we learned about an upcoming trip made available to the children of many of these refugees. Once again a kibbutz invited the kids to spend a few days outside of the city and the shelter. $2000 would cover the modest travel and other expenses involved in making this adventure possible. We wanted to be part of this adventure and offered to cover the final $800 needed to make the trip a reality.