This is the latest news on the ever-growing conflict between African migrants and the residents of lower income neighborhoods in South Tel Aviv. See our previous post, here.
I sure hope the US isn’t considering extending its Malta doctrine to Israel. What is the Malta doctrine (my name for it)? That is where we take illegal aliens off the hands of another country after declaring they are legitimate refugees when they are largely economic migrants. (Just type ‘Malta’ into our search function and you will see how we have helped to make Malta an even bigger target for illegal aliens to aim for by holding out the hope that getting there is a ticket to America’s streets paved with gold!).
Here is the Times of Israel:
Touring South Tel Aviv Tuesday, Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that the issue of African migrants is one of the most vexing problems facing Israel, and that the government would keep working to deport illegal migrants to their nations of origin or to third countries. [Heads up! What third countries?—ed]
Billed as his first working tour in his new post, Sa’ar walked around Neve Sha’anan, a low-income and middle-class neighborhood in south Tel Aviv that’s become an epicenter for many of the tens of thousands of African migrants in Israel, to get a firsthand glimpse of the area.
“This is one of the most difficult, sensitive and charged issues Israel has had to deal with,” Sa’ar noted.
One of the main controversies surrounding the migrants is that the government permitted them entry but doesn’t grant them work visas, creating a situation that fosters crime and illegal activity. Residents have become increasingly vocal about their frustration with what they say is the government’s inaction on the issue.
“There’s no life here anymore. Everyone here lives in fear,” one resident said, while others complained that their businesses have greatly suffered in recent years.
“If they are refugees, give them what they deserve. If they’re infiltrators, then deport them,” a resident said as the minister toured.
[…..]
Human rights groups contend Israel isn’t doing enough for the asylum-seekers, including not giving them the right to work, and that it lags behind much of the West in handling cases of migrants seeking asylum. The government, however, claims that many of the migrants aren’t actually refugees but individuals seeking better economic opportunities. [Readers, by definition economic migrants are not refugees or asylum seekers under UN law—ed]
Funny thing how those border fences do work!
The stream of migrants into Israel, which saw tens of thousands enter the country, has slowed to a near-halt since Israel accelerated construction of a much-upgraded fence along the Egyptian border last year.
About the photo: It is from this Jewish Journal article from January reporting that US activists are telling the Israeli government what they should do—let them stay and give them jobs!