Huldai: Prevent trend now
Photo: Michael Kramer
Peled: Riots and protests
Photo: Yonatan Tzur
TA mayor: Extremists gaining ground in Jaffa
Ron Huldai tells minority affairs minister Arab housing shortage corrupting hitherto moderate city
Tel Aviv's mayor sent a letter Sunday to Minister for Minority Affairs Avishay Braverman, warning him that extremists were gaining strength in Jaffa due to the housing shortage felt by its Arab residents.
Proof?
Walls of synagogue, Jewish residence in Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa sprayed with swastika, Palestinian flag. Neighborhood residents: Act stems from someone messing with kids' heads that Jaffa 'belongs to us'
"It would be wise for the State of Israel to prevent this trend now, and not wake up only on the morning after," he said.
Huldai explained that the city had been investing widely in various infrastructures in Jaffa, which render it more desirable and inevitably force the prices up. He said many of the residents were therefore struggling to continue residing there.
The mayor, who also stressed this point in a meeting with Braverman last week, urges the minister to "promote housing solutions for the Arab community in Jaffa".
Gilad Peled, of the municipality's Jaffa Development Authority, said extremists were making use of the rising housing prices to rein in more supporters.
"The extremist elements come in and say, 'Look, the state doesn't really care about you'. We could wake up soon and discover that Jaffa is no longer a moderate city," Peled said.
He added that the "extremist" activity included protests, riots, and distribution of propaganda material online.
Peled said the state's partiality towards the construction of Jewish neighborhoods in Jaffa was not helping matters. "The land belongs to the state, not the municipality," he explained.
