Unfortunately, according to a report in Yediot Aharonot, some 100 members of the Black Hebrews, most of them born in Israel, and knowing no other environment, are to be deported to the United States within the next two months.
The Black Hebrews, who believe themselves to be descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, originated in Chicago under the leadership of the late Ben Carter, also known as Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, came to Israel in the late 1960s, and for the most part settled in Dimona. They have been trying for half a century, with only minimal success, to acquire Israeli citizenship. Some have served in the army, but most have been rejected because they are not citizens of Israel.
Their community numbers around 5,000, and while they have integrated reasonably well in Dimona, they live in limbo because their future in Israel remains uncertain. Their permanent resident status can be revoked at any time.
A 44-year-old member of the Black Hebrew community, who was born in Israel, and whose children were born in Israel, in an interview on KAN Reshet Bet, said that he was in constant fear of being deported, because all his requests for citizenship had been denied. Another spoke of a mother of nine children, some of whom were born in Israel, who is being deported. She has lived in Israel for around 30 years, and before leaving America, sold all her assets. The hard-line policy will continue for as long as Arye Deri remains interior minister, and was no different when Eli Yishai occupied the same position.
A senior employee of the Interior Ministry told Reshet Bet that there was no intention of expelling the whole community, only those of its members who are living in Israel illegally and have not been accorded citizenship or permanent residence. When asked how come it has taken 20 or 30 years to catch up with such people, the employee replied: “We can’t put a GPS on every new arrival.” He kept insisting on the illegality of those being deported, saying that they have where to go because they are all American citizens. The fact that some of these American citizens were born in Israel, and knew no other life, made no impression on him.