Should we as Jews feel sympathy for the refugees leaving Africa and crossing the Mediterranean Sea for sanctuary? As most of us are second generation immigrants from Russia and Poland, are the Africans simply doing what our grandparents did? Our grandparents fled from the pogroms as well as trying to getting to get a better way of life.

As Jews do you feel they should be sent back to where they come from? The British government did that to our brethren after the war, and these were people who survived the concentration camps and were sent back to the same camps that gassed millions. We all know the famous Exodus ship episode. How many ships carrying Jews did the British stop from landing in Israel after the war? Many Jews drowned in the Mediterranean at that time.

We, as Jews, are the most charitable in the world. It’s well known. I have seen myself that, as part of the relief operations carried out in the troubles in Romania and Bosnia, it was always Jewish organisations who were the first to help. In Romania the World Jewish Relief organisation sent me in with a 40 foot container of medicines for the Bucharest hospitals. Never had the doctors seen such aid given to them and some cried as the doors to the container opened and they saw the wonderful medicines inside.

In Bosnia again we were the first to help with aid and evacuations. During the recent war over there, I was assisting in Split, the Croatian capital. Whilst I was in the small rooms of La Benevolencia, the Jewish aid organisation, a man knocked on the door. He had just flown in on the United Nations flight from Sarajevo with dozens of letters from people in Sarajevo. He was an American reporter and the people had given him letters to send to their relations abroad and had been told to only to give in them to La Benevolencia This Jewish organisation distributed non-sectarian aid and was the only organisation they trusted.

I carried the exit visas for many people under my shirt. These visas were paid for by Joint, the American Jewish aid organisation. They allowed people to leave Bosnia and fly to Israel.

When the war started in Syria two years ago I asked whether Israel should give aid to the fleeing Syrian people. Israel gave aid and sanctuary as we all know...

In Haiti, Israel was amongst the first to help. Four weeks ago in the earthquake in Nepal, Israel was there and over 30% of the aid there is from Israel.

Which brings me to my original question; should we, as Jews, sympathise with those fleeing across the Mediterranean Sea? Most are Moslems. Should this confuse our decision?

Alan Harris