Israel: demonstration against the presence of Africans in Tel Aviv
About 300 Israelis demonstrated on Thursday, August 30, 2018 in the streets of the southern neighbourhoods of Tel Aviv, against the presence of foreigners.
They were essentially aimed at the tens of thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese living in these popular areas of the city.
The Israeli government had adopted a plan to deport them to a third country in Africa, but this project was invalidated by the Supreme Court but some Israeli residents denounce the inaction of the government.
According to timesofisrael.com, one Hebrew-language sign held up by a protester read, “Not a refugee, not desperate, just a squatter and infiltrator.” Many in attendance wore shirts with slogans including, “The South Tel Aviv Liberation Front” and “Rehabilitation [of Tel Aviv’s slums] Begins With Expulsion [of asylum seekers].”
“The time has come to speak openly and without worrying about the politically correct: we do not want you here,” said one of the leaders of this protest movement for the Eritreans and Sudanese living in this country, mostly southern part of Tel Aviv.
Deri, the minister responsible for overseeing the country’s refugee policy and who has taken a hard line and actively sought their deportations, was pilloried by the protesters and at least one picture of him was set on fire, drawing fierce anger from fellow lawmakers.
MK Yinon Azulai, from Deri’s Shas Party, said demonstrators also called for Deri to be assaulted or murdered, and asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan to open a probe.
Another Shas MK, Michael Michaeli, called on Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to open a probe.
“A red line has been crossed,” he said.
Other lawmakers, all on the right, also condemned the display and came to Deri’s defence.
The protest against Deri “is unacceptable, illegitimate and deserving of every condemnation,” Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) said.
He said protesters’ anger should be turned against the High Court, which has consistently torpedoed Deri’s plans to have the migrants deported.
Source: Timeofisrael
