Israel’s ambassador will speak with a top Jewish Democrat after the congressman wrote to express his “disappointment” in Israel for turning away Sudanese refugees. “The ambassador hopes to be speaking with Congressman Emanuel in the coming days,” an embassy spokesman said on Thursday, confirming that the embassy had received the letter from Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the fourth ranked Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. “I am writing today to express my disappointment that Israel would turn away any person fleeing from persecution,” Emanuel said in his letter sent Monday to Ambassador Sallai Meridor. Emanuel referred to a report that Israel had turned away 48 Sudanese at the Egyptian border. Sudanese fleeing their war torn land have been beaten and in some cases killed by Egyptian authorities. “I understand the concern the State of Israel has for maintaining the integrity of her borders, but if any country should understand the special needs of those affected by the genocide in Darfur, it should be Israel,” wrote Emanuel, whose father is Israeli.
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