Shock, violence and hatred of foreigners erupt in Tel Aviv
ISRAEL: Violent race riots that shook south Tel Aviv overnight
sparked shock in Israel on Thursday, but also prompted top-level calls
for the immediate arrest and expulsion of tens of thousands of African
migrants.
The latest unrest to sweep the impoverished neighbourhoods around Tel
Aviv's central bus station erupted when a demonstration of around 1,000
people who were protesting against the rising number of Africans moving
into the area, turned violent.
“Shock, violence and hatred of foreigners in Tel Aviv” was the
headline in the Maariv daily, which described scenes of chaos as
demonstrators went on the rampage with sticks and stones, attacking
African-run shops and smashing up a car driven by two African men.
“Blacks out!” shouted demonstrators in the crowd, while others
yelled: “Send the Sudanese back to Sudan,” several news reports said, as
other protesters derided the “bleeding-heart leftists” working to help
them.
Most reports said the rally turned nasty after the crowd was whipped
up by several racist speeches by right-wing MPs, several of them from
the ruling Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The infiltrators are a cancer in our body,” Likud MP Miri Regev told
the crowd, as fellow MP Danny Danon shouted: “The infiltrators must be
expelled from Israel! Expulsion now!” Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld
said 20 people had been arrested on suspicion of vandalising shops and
attacking cars driven by Africans, but added that there were no reports
of anyone being injured. AFP |