Tel Aviv’s Anger at African Immigrants
A few weeks ago, in a fit of hatred, someone, or some more than one, threw Molotov cocktails at a kindergarten and apartments used by foreign workers in south Tel Aviv’s Shapira neighborhood, “causing significant property damage but no injuries or loss of life,” in journalese.
This week I took a walk in Shapira. It was Wednesday, the day after the demonstrators returned – some protesting government policy on labor migrants, others against the migrants themselves and still others expressing solidarity with them and denouncing racism.
I myself participated in a few of the latter protests over the past few years. I took part out of a sense of duty as a human being, as a parent, as an Israeli citizen. I still believe it’s right to go out and protest all acts of violence and racism, but I have come to understand that only those who live in Shapira or a similar neighborhood are aware of the heavy price paid by long-time residents, foreign refugees and work migrants themselves.
I am no stranger to Shapira, having visited it on a few occasions to walk around, to check out housing options, to visit friends, but this was the first time I came to see “the other.” “The other” being D., a 25-year-old refugee from Eritrea who has a work permit. He, like most of the people I spoke to for this article, asked to remain anonymous.
For more, go to Haaretz.com
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
