Across the Sands: African Refugees in the Eyes of the World

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Table of Contents

Introduction: Where Compassion Starts
African Refugees: The Chase for a Better Life
Personal Suffer and Political Agony: Drawing the Line
Ethical Dilemma: An Aesthetic Viewpoint
Politics and Poetry, Intertwined: When the Impossible Is Just Around the Corner
In the Eye of a Stranger: African Suffering
Conclusion: When Humankind Needs Humanity
Works Cited

Introduction: Where Compassion Starts

In the modern world, despite the globalization and the cosmopolitan air in the relationships between various countries, the numerous problems arising because of certain political and cultural issues are inevitable. Among the most notorious issues of the present-day political affairs, the one concerning the problem of the African refugees remains on the agenda of the modern politics and culture.

Caused by a number of factors including the high rates of unemployment in the corresponding African countries, vague job prospects and the unsatisfactory life standards in the African countries in question, the emigration to Israel is one of the most stable tendencies in such countries as Sudan, Oman, etc.

Hence, the necessity to consider the given issue from the viewpoint of ethics, politics and culture arises. It is also worth mentioning that the given issue should be considered incorporating the ideas of Derrida, Said and Sontag, who offer rather peculiar considerations on the issue of ethics, politics and culture.

African Refugees: The Chase for a Better Life

Because of the unbearable conditions in their native land and the chance to improve the life standards in Israel, a number of people immigrate illegally to Israel. Which is even more important, according to the Israeli standards, the immigrants from Sudan, Oman, and several other countries are supposed to obtain humanitarian aid.

Hence, the immigration to Israel is one of the tendencies in poorer African countries, as Ogazi explains. However, the latter marks that the process of illegal immigration is often deadly: “There are reports of many being killed. Many sentenced to death for false charges and for being in the country illegally” (Ogazi 75). Therefore, the issue should be considered thoroughly.

Personal Suffer and Political Agony: Drawing the Line

Among the most notorious issues concerning the illegal immigration from African countries to Israel, the way in which a personal tragedy is intertwined with the political issues must be the key complexity. On the one hand, the people immigrating from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and the rest of the countries to Israel have to face intense suffer and the fear of being killed on their way to the promised Land.

However, it is important to mark that the personal suffers of the immigrants address the political issues as well. In most cases, the interrelation between the political and the personal concern can be related to as the manifestation of what Sontag defined as the “Camp” phenomenon. Since a human being is an integral part of the society, (s)he cannot exist separated from the society; hence, the personal mixes with the political, which culminates in the Israeli immigration conflict.

Ethical Dilemma: An Aesthetic Viewpoint

Another peculiar issue, the correlation of the ethical and the aesthetical can also be traced in the given problem. Since the people immigrating to another country to seek for help, even though illegally, require rather assistance than the penalty that the Israeli armed force brings on them, it is required to reconsider the way in which immigrants are treated in Israeli. Obviously, even those who cross the boundaries of the state illegally need help and should be offered certain support.

On the other hand, illegal immigrants are criminals that must be punished. Hence the ethical concern arises. However, taking into account the ideas of society that Derrida conveys: “Nature has expelled man […], society persists in oppressing him” (115), it is obvious that the Israeli society is unlikely to reconsider their vision of illegal immigration.

Politics and Poetry, Intertwined: When the Impossible Is Just Around the Corner

It would also be reasonable to consider the problem of immigration from the viewpoint of politics and poetry. Incorporating such strikingly different spheres, one is likely to obtain the most objective result.

However, when it comes to speaking of the African immigrants in Israel, one should mark that the political complexities are obvious even for the legal immigrants, who find it quite had to get used to the Israeli policies and the system of justice (Said 11).

However, it cannot be denied that there is certain poetry in the way the Africans are trying to integrate into the Israeli environment and at the same time keep their integrity, the famous “poetry of the Palestinians during their struggle” (240).

In the Eye of a Stranger: African Suffering

Considering the problem of the African immigration, one must mark that the situation is rather controversial. On the one hand, the illegal immigration has to be dealt with; leading to overpopulation of Israel, the religious concern and the political stain, the unceasing flood of immigrants presupposes considerable problems. Yet on the other hand, it is clear that the Africans do have the right for a better life and deserve the opportunity to live in the country of their forefathers.

Therefore, from a viewpoint of a passer-by, both opponents are quite reasonable and should, therefore consider the option of a peaceful coexistence. According to the reasonable suggestion of Ogazi, “what Africa needs is a sound immigration policy that allows Africans to migrate and live in other African countries without being branded as ‘settlers,’ and abused” (77).

Conclusion: When Humankind Needs Humanity

Hence, it is obvious that the given issue concerning the constant flood of refugees from African countries into Israel presupposes a number of issues to deal with.

Considering the problem from various viewpoints, one should mark that, no matter whether the issue of viewed from the position of ethics or politics, it becomes obvious that the unceasing flood of immigration does have reasonable grounds to base on. Among the most essential ones, the desire to obtain help is quite understandable, as well as the suffering that the immigrants have to take.

Nevertheless, it is also evident that the given situation needs to be tackled with, since the immigration presupposes not only the major cultural issues, but also the political concern for both the country of emigration and Israel. While in the former, the state of affairs is deteriorating due to the lack of the workforce and the inefficiency of economics, in the latter, the increasing number of citizens presupposes dealing with the increase in unemployment rates and tough competition in the job market.

Moreover, the religious issues also arise due to the different beliefs of the immigrants and the native Israeli. Therefore, it cannot be denied that, considering the problem from both the viewpoint of the refugees and a passer-by point of view, one should emphasize the necessity to find the compromise between the Israeli native citizens and the numerous immigrants.

Works Cited

Derrida, Jaques. Of Grammatology. Baltimore, MD: JHU Press, 1998. Print.

Ogazi, Emeka L. African Development and the Influence of Western Media. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris, 2010. Print.

Said, Edward W. The Question of Palestine. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis, 1990. Print.

Sontag, Susan. “Notes on ‘Camp’.” Beauty.gmu.edu, Beauty GMU. n.d. Web.

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