An African Immigrant’s Plea

Image by getty images

By Adam Ibrahim (Haaretz) May 24, 2012

Violent Backlash: An African immigrant is attacked as he drives a car in Tel Aviv. Israelis mounted violent demonstrations against Africans after politicians described them as a ?cancer.? Image by getty images

I live in the Shapira neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, what is currently happening in the neighborhood is intolerable. I have a friend who was told last Friday by two individuals that they were police officers in civilian clothing, who then proceeded to push him and take 700 shekels away from him. The police, of course, did not even deal with it. I think the Israelis do not treat us well, and then due to their guilt they come complaining about us.

I have been here for five years and I never heard so many media reports on crime and rape as I have had in recent days.

Is it by chance that these incidents have been coming up just days after firebombs were thrown at a preschool and at our homes? Is it an attempt to justify these horrible acts?

I, myself, have nothing to lose. I could have acted like the Israelis and even worse. But I respect them and the fact that it is their country, and that they allow us to be here, and there are also good people here who help.

The problem is that the Israeli government is two-faced. One the one hand, it receives us and presents itself as an enlightened country that respects the international refugee convention , and on the other hand it does not give us anything.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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