In an almost ironic story, Ynet reports that some relatives of Saddam Hussein were denied refugee status in Israel:
The family, which consists of the two parents and their six children, recently infiltrated Israel through the Israeli-Egyptian border.
The family then arrived at the offices of the Interior Ministry and applied for refuge status, claiming they were from the war-torn region of the Sudan.
It seems that the Interior Ministry was alarmed when they saw the names Uday and Qusay Hussein, the names of Saddam Hussein’s sons (killed in July 2003). Their suspicions were later confirmed when it was discovered that the “refugees” were in fact citizens of Iraq, and descendants of the late, famously anti-Israeli dictator.
Why were they trying to get into Israel? Hopefully follow-up reports will reveal more information. Either way, it’s rather contemptible that they posed as Sudanese refugees, especially considering the reports of real Sudanese refugees’ life-threatening journey into Israel.
—Benjamin Schuman-Stoler
