It is Passover, a time for Jews to retell the ancient story of their exodus from oppression and their escape from a cruel society that denied them safety. The safe haven they sought was Israel. The Passover story admonishes us “to not oppress the stranger for you know the feelings of the stranger.”

Ironically, this week, the Israeli government reneged on an agreement with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to resettle about 16,000 African asylum seekers, mostly fleeing brutal dictatorships in Eritrea and Sudan, in more welcoming Western countries (including Canada), with the remaining 18,000 to remain in Israel.

When, hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled this deal in response to pressure from his cabinet and returned to the plan to deport the asylum seekers to Rwanda, the progressive Jewish community in Israel, Canada and across the democratic world, gasped.

The reversal is in violation of International Law (the 1951 Refugee Convention), contradicts the Israeli High Court ruling prohibiting these forced deportations, contradicts democratic values and smells painfully of racism. To rub salt into this wound, Netanyahu blamed the progressive New Israel Fund for scuttling his illegal plan to forcibly deport these vulnerable refugees.

Many of my family members, and Jews everywhere, died in the Holocaust. The response to our pleas was “None is too many.” Today, silence is unacceptable. Those of us who love Israel and want her to live up to Jewish values must speak out. Together, we are raising our voices in support of the African asylum seekers, along with thousands of Israelis who say “Not in our name!”