Asylum seekers targeted in Tel Aviv neighborhood

Aid organizations file complaint after Molotov cocktails are thrown at apartments where asylum seekers are currently residing in southern Tel Aviv. Police confirm they received complaints

Omri Efraim|Published: 04.27.12 , 13:07

Aid organizations in Tel Aviv filed a complaint on Thursday night claiming that Molotov cocktails were thrown at four apartments where African asylum seekers reside as well as an apartment that is being used as a daycare center, both in the Shapira neighborhood in southern Tel Aviv.

No one was hurt in the attack and police have confirmed that they received the complaints.

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One local resident told Ynet that at around 1:30 am a fire broke out in the back yard of the apartment beneath his, where Eritrean asylum seekers live. "They sleep in the backyard too because of how crowded it is… one of the beds was on fire."

According to the eyewitness, police forces arrived within a few minutes. "There were pieces of broken bottles at the scene," he said.

"Apparently there was another building on the other side also belonging to asylum seekers that had Molotov cocktails thrown at it, and a few hundred meters away I saw two more apartments and an apartment that's used for a daycare center where there were arson attempts and bottle shards.

In light of the incident, social activists intent on demonstrating in the neighborhood on Friday afternoon. "These people are the most impoverished in our society," said activist Nit Nader. He added: "We will go out and protest in order to support their rights.

"Yes, there are problems in Tel Aviv's poor neighborhoods but you can't solve those problems at the asylum seekers' expense. The anger should be towards the government."

The Tel Aviv District Police said in response: "We did receive attempts in connection with attempted arson attacks. One, on a slide in a park and two others at home entrances."