A year ago, I posted an article about Israel's plan to bar Asian restaurant workers in the country and to replace them with 'Israeli' workers. I thought it'd be timely to bring this issue up again, considering the recent atrocities committed by the Israeli State against the Palestinian people.

For those that haven't come across my earlier blog post, at the start of 2008, the Israeli government decided to send foreign restaurant workers (the majority of whom are Asians) packing. Almost 1000 chefs and kitchen workers are to be replaced by Israelis. As Shoshana Strauss, from the Trade Ministry, stated, "We feel an Israeli can hold a wok as well as a Thai or a Chinese person". Beginning this year, no work visas will be issued for foreign-born workers in the restaurant industry1. Other than the fact that people are going to be deprived of yummy Chinese and Thai food (considering how new Asian cooking classes offered have not attracted much interest), the debasement of these Asian workers add another dimension to the Apartheid system operating in Israel. According to Rebecca Harrison (Journalist for the Independent), Asians are virtually barred from Israeli citizenship because of tough immigration laws requiring proof that they are Jewish or have links to the country2.

Other examples include discriminatory contracts that ban Chinese workers from religious/political activity, but also, even more bizarrely, from having sex. Workers that breach the stipulations are to be forced back to China at their own expense. Often times, passports are taken by employers and pay is refused. Also, according to some, prejudicial attitudes are common. In an example, a security guard at an Israeli university stated to a Chinese professor, "and you are ..? Do you want me to help you find work at some restaurant?"3. In another anecdote, Asians complained about being singled out by security, not unlike how many racialized Arabs/South Asians are treated (I am not really sure why though - assuming connections with smuggling or improper documentation???).

My understanding is that Asian workers were brought in with the escalation of the Palestinian conflict. A new source of cheap and disposable labour was needed after the old one (Palestinians) dried up given security fears. In the case of the restaurant workers, their disposability is clear, with little to no chance of citizenship, now that the Israeli State decides they are not needed, they are shipped back 'home'. 'Silly Asians, Israel is only for Jewish people!'

A further connection is Israel's supplying of arms to various Asian militaries. (see: http://books.google.com/books?id=7v-g21ksdVsC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=taiwan...) I haven't had time to look through it but some especially infamous baddies include Indonesia, Burma, and Thailand. So not only are they fucking over our sisters and brothers in Israel, but right at our homes!

To conclude, I echo the sentiments of the Filipino speaker at the protest today. The Israeli state is perpetrating crimes against all of us. And we too share the experience of occupation. The Israeli government must stop its atrocities and end its system of apartheid, a system affecting Palestinians, Filipinos, Chinese, Thais, and all marginalized peoples.

1-http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=125911
2-http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL1282482920080212?sp=true
3-http://www.filination.com/blog/2006/12/04/the-asian-stereotype-in-israel/

notes: This is really rough and hardly comprehensive. Discrimination against Asians in Israel doesn't seem well documented and mcuh of what I found were anecdotes collected from blogs and forums.