Suspect Is Held in Anti-African Firebombings

By JTA April 29, 2012

Police arrested a 20-year-old resident of south Tel Aviv for firebombing the homes of African asylum seekers living in his neighborhood.

The man was expected to appear in court on Sunday. It is not known if the alleged arsonist had any accomplices.

The attacks, which occurred on the morning of April 27th, were directed at four houses of migrants from Sudan and Eritrea, as well as at a public park where some migrants sleep. No one was injured in the incident, but some of the structures were damaged. One of the apartments was also used as a day care center.

Some 40,000 African migrants looking for work and another 20,000 asylum seekers are estimated to live in south Tel Aviv, according to Haaretz, citing city officials. Tensions between Israeli residents and the African migrants have been on the rise in recent months.

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