Mindless chatter is not becoming of politicians, yet that is exactly Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, Meretz leader Zehava Galon and soon-to-be Yesh Atid MK Elazar Stern engaged in when they suggested Israel should take in refugees from Syria. Stern was emphatically shot down by Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, but no one in the Zionist Union or Meretz took on Herzog or Galon. It is as if these two party leaders do not understand that opening Israel's gates to Syrian refugees would lead to the implementation of the "right of return" -- with Syrians playing the role of the Palestinians. Of course, there may be some limited circumstances in which Israel will have an interest in providing refuge for certain Syrians. But the blanket welcome proposed by Herzog, Galon and Stern would be a dangerous trap for Israel. Every country in the world has the right to define its character. Israel wants to be a Jewish and democratic state, and any mass infusion of Syrian refugees here would undermine Israel's very foundations. Syria is an enemy state. Has there ever been a country that has taken in refugees from an enemy state during wartime? And why should Syrians seeking to escape the inferno in their country come to Israel, rather than Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states? There is no justification for Israel taking in Syrian refugees. Israel has stemmed the flow of illegal migrants from Africa, despite the fact it is not at war with any of their countries of origin. The fence Israel built on the border with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has almost completely ended the infiltration phenomenon, which at its peak saw 12,000 illegal African migrants entering Israel annually. There is no reason for Israel to permit drastic demographic changes to take place here and the world should know that anyone who walks toward our borders will be met by an "iron wall" of military and police personnel who will prevent violations of Israel's right to protect its sovereignty. However, when it comes to humanitarian aid, Israel must lead the charge. It is already doing a lot in this realm, without talking about it, on the border with Syria in the Golan Heights. These activities should continue. It is time for the world to get serious about ending the bloody conflict in Syria, where, unfortunately, none of the involved parties are particularly friendly toward Israel. And in Africa, the time has come for a new Marshall Plan-style initiative that will allow the continent to finally flourish. Israel should take part in all of this, but only to a certain extent.