An Open Invitation to Governor Jan Brewer and the Arizona State Legislature

Dear Governor Brewer and Arizona State Legislators:

Now that you've passed SB1070, and are awaiting the governor's signature on HB2281 (fingers crossed for you!) I guess you're going to need a crash course in the fine arts of racial profiling and zenophobia.

Well, who better to teach you than the Jews? After all, we've lived trough 2,000 years of persecution, erroneous accusations, expulsion from our homeland, exile, slavery, societal upheaval, and genocide. So we have more experience than anyone else!

You are all invited to come to Israel, where you will be able to observe, and who knows, perhaps even pitch in to help with the country's ongoing, systematic profiling of minority residents and citizens.

Discussing the full scope of the sanctioned discriminatory measures against both Arab Israelis and visiting foreign travelers of Arab descent is perhaps too daunting and complex a task for this forum. However, let me just whet your appetite for bigotry by telling you that it definitely happens. A LOT. So you have that to look forward to, which is nice.

But let's talk about a cause I already know is near and dear to your heart--legalized profiling of foreign workers, new immigrants, and minorities! Here in Israel, we live alongside many foreign workers from Thailand, the Philippines, China, and Egypt. We also host a significant population of political refugees from Sudan and Somalia, and are home to many Israeli citizens of Ethiopian descent.

So, we understand the pain of having your communities filled with foreigners who want to build your luxury high-rise condominiums, pick your fruits and vegetables, lovingly nanny your children, clean your homes and offices, pick up the trash in your streets, send their kids to school alongside yours, have the gall to practice your religion (I'm talking to you, Ethiopians!), and, worst of all, compassionately tend to the needs of your frail elderly family members so that you don't have to visit those needy oldsters as often.

And guess what, guys! We're one step ahead of you! In the summer of 2009, the OZ police units were formed here in Israel, They're a special task force dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting foreign workers who have overstayed their temporary work visas. They can demand to see anyone's work papers or Israeli I.D. if they have the slightest suspicion that the individual might be illegal.

Here, the big tip-off seems to be hooded eyes or dark skin, but I guess in Arizona you'll have to start with the people who have suspicious tans.

When the OZ officers visit construction sites or walk around immigrant-heavy neighborhood, like area around the old central bus station here in Tel Aviv, everyone in the vicinity flees! People hide under beds in their own homes, flee into stranger's apartments, lock themselves into bathrooms, and disappear into restaurant kitchens and kiosk storerooms.

Please keep these potential hiding spots in mind when you start trolling for suspected foreigners in your state.

I think you'll be happy to know that Israel doesn't just use its police forces to ferret out foreigners. We are also working in our own (Federal!) legislature to limit the number of foreign work permits being issued and to expel foreign worker families who gave birth to children in the country (children whose first language is Hebrew, and who are citizens of Israel).

But these positive steps aren't just being taken at the national level. Individual cities and towns are also taking steps to expel minorities and foreigners. Several of the religious schools in Petach Tikva spent the first few months of the 2009-2010 school years battling ardently to keep Ethiopian students from enrolling in their educational institutions! Perhaps, this could inspire your next big project?

We know that you are expecting a lot of visiting activists and protesters to arrive in your state today, for May Day protests and rallies. Well, why not take a page from our book and send police to arrest any illegal immigrants or foreign visitors present at these gatherings? Try it, it works!


I hope some of this advice helps you in your anti-immigrant and anti-minority efforts! And remember, you are welcome to come visit us here in Israel anytime to learn more. That is, as long as you aren't Black, Asian, Arab, seeking political refuge, planning to protest, or hoping to procreate within our boundaries.

Warmly Yours,

Israel


P.S. Here is a small selection of the news coverage of our activities, in case you want to read these inspiring articles and/or print them out to paste into your scrapbooks:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1107230.html

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1146699.html

http://mondoweiss.net/2009/08/oz-retreats-the-outcry-against-expulsion-of-african-refugees-in-israel

http://indymedia.org.il/article/2010/1/oz-unit-israeli-imigration-police-arrests-international-activist-ramallah

http://palsolidarity.org/2010/01/10362