Rightists, Arabs clash over 'emigration deal'

VIDEO - A violent confrontation erupted Thursday in Jaffa between Arab residents and some 15 activists of the rightist Herut (freedom) party, headed by Michael Kleiner, who offered the locals to emigrate from Israel in return for compensation.

The locals beat up Kleiner and his associates, and also hurled a stun grenade and bottles in their direction. Herut members consequently fled the scene.  

Video: Yaron Brenner 

Later, Kleiner and his associates attempted to return to the scene, but were prevented from doing so by police. Right-wing activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir also arrived in the area and engaged in more clashes with local residents.

"This is chutzpah on the part of police and the Arabs to prevent us from entering Jaffa's Arab neighborhoods," Ben Gvir told Ynet, "but we're not suckers."

Local residents slammed Kleiner as a racist, telling him "you're ruining coexistence, get out of here." The rightist politician, who at the beginning of the tour vowed no threats or violence would make him flee, escaped nonetheless and disappeared from the scene.

On their way out, residents yelled at the rightists: "Fascists and racists, get lost," and offered Kleiner compensation should he agree to return to where he came from.

"He should go to Alaska," one local suggested. Another local business owner standing nearby said: "Inflaming passions is easy, but putting out the fires is much harder."

Kleiner clashed with the chairman of the Arab neighborhoods committee in Jaffa Kamal Agbariya, former soccer player Rifat Turk and a group of local residents. Herut member decided to come to Jaffa after Rifat Turk threatened in a conversation with Ynet that "if they (rightists) came here during the day, our guys would know how to treat them."

One of Herut's activists, a Jew with a heavy American accent, took out a stash of thousands of shekels from his pocket and offered Turk and the other residents to pay them "an advancement." Turk, in response, struck out at the money, which subsequently flew in every direction. Happy passersby were quick to pick up the bills, leaving the unlucky "donor" empty handed.

Kleiner arrived at the Clock Tower Square in Jaffa accompanied by a group of right-wing activists. Upon his arrival Kleiner told Agbariya “this country was given to the sons of Isaac and not to the sons Ishmael. Just as I won’t Jews to be moved to France, we will not remove Arabs from Israel forcefully, but we are offering them to evacuate willingly in exchange for a fitting amount of money; they can choose from the 22 Arab countries at their disposal.”

He added “If the Arabs and Turk said we are coming like thieves in the night, now we are coming during the day, standing here and handing out propaganda leaflets in the heart of our country.”

Following the altercation Kleiner’s entourage of 15 people continued from Clock Tower Square to other Arab neighborhoods; far-rightist Baruch Marzel offered them his assistance.

Herut party spokesman Shmuel Ari said the Jaffa residents attacked party activists and vandalized one activist's car.

"When we saw the riots turn violent, we chose to clear the area rather than be harmed. All we did was talk to them, it was a legitimate offer from us, but they preferred to respond with violence. We have no problem honoring them, but what they did was a disgrace to democracy," said Ari.