PM: Don't take law into your own hands

In a week that saw several protest rallies and violence against foreign infiltrators, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to intervene Wednesday, urging Israelis to avoid lawless behavior and to the taking of independent measures against infiltrators.

"The Israeli government is working determinedly to stop the flow of illegal infiltrators from Africa," he said in a video published on his facebook page.

In the video message, Netanyahu spoke in detail about the steps taken by his government: "We're doing that by building the fence, which hasn't been built for many years. Now it's being built. We're doing it by taking action to send illegal infiltrators back to their countries. These things haven't been done in many years, now we're doing it. We are also taking other action to solve the problem."

Netanyahu made an appeal to citizens to avoid violent actions: "One thing I ask: Israelis can't take matters into their own hands, they can't be violent or get overly impassioned about it. The government is working and it's our job to solve this problem. I ask you to obey the law."

The wave of protests against the illegal infiltrators reached new heights yesterday when hundreds demonstrated against the phenomenon in Tel Aviv's southern neighborhoods. The demonstrators protested under the heading of 'End the fear in the neighborhoods, send the infiltrators home', and claimed that the government had abandoned them.

They marched from the Kiryat Shalom neighborhood to the Hatikva neighborhood market area and chanted "Bibi go home". Clashes between the protestors and a group protesting against the demonstration took place a short time before the rally started.

Knesset members from both the left and right side of the political spexctrum took part in the protest. MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima) made it clear that he came so that "the radical voices are not the only ones heard."

MK Michael Ben Ari (National Union) said he couldn't recognize Hatikva neighborhood, where he was raised. "We've become the strangers in our neighborhood; it is not only our problem, but a problem that is affecting the whole country," he said.

"These are not asylum seekers, but foreign invaders. They burned down Shapira neighborhood and we will not let them do the same here," he added. Tel Aviv Councilman and Chairman of Hatikva neighborhood Council Shlomo Maslawi called to transfer the infiltrators to upscale neighborhoods and to Israel's kibbutzim.

On Wednesday, Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen also expressed his concern over the infiltrator phenomenon. "This is an issue that concerns me greatly," he said during a conference on the rule of law. The infiltrators are in Eilat, Tel Aviv, Arad and recently, Ashdod and Bnei Brak.

"They are here in great numbers and beyond the demographic issues and the rising numbers I'm worried about the criminal aspect, the violence and drug crimes and mainly, murder and rape," he said.

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