... and then think whether these self-appointed representatives of the local community are so morally pure. Their attitudes are a disgrace and conjure up the worst images of segregation - barring children from entering Kindergarten indeed!

I thought that most Israeli's were only racist towards Arabs. Now it looks like many are racist against all non-Jews and many of them are even racist against Jews from the Middle East and Northern Africa. 21st century Israel is becoming more and more like Germany in the 1930's, when there were large numbers of people that were racist against Jews, Poles, Slavs, Gypsies, etc.

The migrants shouldn't be concentrated in one area of the contry. This leads to alienation, criminality and despair. We should follow the Swiss approach which is to spread migrants thinly throughout the Cantons. We can do this in Israel. Send some to each region: Sharon, Haifa, Galil, etc It will act as a disincentive to illegal workers and ensure that the burden is shared equally by all the country instead of one or two poor neighbourhoods in South Tel Aviv, which is patently unfair. Although there was really no need to quote Suzy Cohen's obvious xenophobia and fear of black people. Murderous eyes...... is Ynet trying to make these people look bad? They're all victims (Israelis and migrants) and they're all being exploited by that scumbag Shasnik Babayoff for his own political gain Shas: the Black Kippah's

when it comes to secular racism? And there's plenty of that in Israel.

I own property in, and live in Florentine- I also regularly go to the Old and New Bus Station area to go to the (excellent) produce market and ethnic shops, I have NEVER been harrassed or even looked at, in a threatening manner. I walk freely, shop, converse, and am accepted and feel very comfortable walking day or night in this area! SHAME on my fellow Jews who are parents who stigmatize, ostracize, and marginalize entire groups of people, including their CHILDREN, just because they don't look or think like them. If it were their children in the same boat, they would be the first to shout discrimination and stereotyping!! I would much prefer to rent a property of mine to a foreign worker with a family, than to hateful, ignorant, racist scum like Ms. Cohen and her ilk. And I assure you, I am not alone!

I do not see or hear of more crime in the area and I am there often. Can someone check the stats if there is actually an increase in crime or this is based on racist perceptions? "I see murder in their eyes" is not exactly scientific proof of a social problem.

where 40% of kids are americans.

Where are all the comenters who were so active against the cheredim in Emanual, vanish when it is secular people behaving in this manner

you are a disgrace to rochester, NY, or any part of the US. you write that most israelis are racist???? sorry, where did you get your figures from.....and no israel is not like germany, and i suggest you come and visit before you make such ignorant comments without just basis. if you came here, you would realize there is a large migrant population....but i think the residents of Tel Aviv are complaining about migrant workers of non jewish descent, mostly from the Philippines, which may or may not have work visas. the conditions are better here than over there, which promote the movement to work here and birth children...now, im sure you are familiar with the immigration going on in the US considering you are from NY. how can you judge israel when a great majority of US citizens also have the same views towards immigrants in their country? do you need to be reminded of what happened in Arizona recently? or how all the time there are protests against tax payer dollars towards immigrants or illegal immigrants who do not pay taxes themselves? please judge yourself before judging others. thank you.

you forget that Israel is a small beleaguered country and that these immigrants are illegal and uninvited and hostile. Typical leftist delusional thinking to ignore these "minor details" and talk of discrimination and act indignant. There are already 300,000 Sudanese etc. in Israel, in a mere 4 or 5 years. Why they were allowed in and why they are not kicked out immediately by the government is a crime. They surely draw on resources like water, housing, etc. as per their numbers. If this trend continues, there will be millions of such foreigners and Israel will disappear as a Jewish state or Arab state and will become an African Moslem state. Every state in Europe fights this 'trickle invasion' knowing its survival depends on it. It is delusional for Israel to remain passive.

should be shipped bak to where they came from. My tax money should not have to go to health care and education for illegal residents. i pay a pretty penny for my child's kindergarden in Tel Aviv, I do not want to support these parasites. (And BTW I don't care what color they are.)

I can't believe such blatant racism is happening in Israel. No attempt to even hide it... how shameful.

How dare anyway say that these Sudanese have murderous eyes?!?! I have been living and working in Tel Aviv with the foreign workers and refugees for three years now and they are some of the most warm and good hearted people I have met in my life. All these people want to do is live in safety and make a good life for their children. There is NO increased crime from these people. They all just want to work and support their families. I am ashamed at how racists Israelis can be. It is like we have learned nothing from our past. SHAME on you for thinking bad of these wonderful, innocent people. And yes, YNET please confirm the lack of crime increase in these neighborhoods.

...is that it exists whenever there is a minority amongst a majority. I was born in and raised in Africa. And believe me, walking down the street as the only white person amongst a sea of black people. Nobody gave a @#%! wether I had a house or a job and a kindergarten for my children. So it is simple really, if these people need help there is 50 African countries they can choose from. It is not been racist it is simple. Life is always better amongst your own peolpe. Now I am in Israel I understand this. Africa to the Africans as Israel is to the Jews, China is to the Chinese. You can go go wherever you want, but do not expect to be treated like it is your backyard.

you're 100% right!

Opposition to keeping and coddling illegal immigrants is not racism - it has nothing to do with their color or any ethnic or cultural factors. This is a false knee jerk accusation, used by Israel-haters to try and weaken it and destroy it in this manner among others. Make no mistake about it - this issue is one of the big ones of the coming decade for Israel's survival. At the current rate of 75'000 illegals per year, you will within 10 years have some 1'000'000 hostile and demanding African illegals to contend with. There will be international pressure and riots and crime and overload of social services. The state will not withstand the burden. Don't be fools: act now to stop and reverse the trend. It is not racism but rationalism.

there has not been a war in iritrea in the last 15 years, and they still come here in droves.there is no way of knowing if they are genuine refugees. the law should apply to everyone.

I am nauseated from this article and ashamed at the blatantly racist manner in which Ynet wrote this article. It is unbalanced, using the quotes of xenophobic, ignorant, and massively diluted residents with absolutely no background information on the actual crime situation in the area, or in Israel in general involving immigrant workers and refugees. The article also forgets to mentioned that the majority of these workers were invited here to perform some of the most essential work: nearly free labour to care for Jewish elders, cleaning, construction, agriculture. Things the people quoted in this article reap the benefits of, yet would never perform themselves. The hostility in Israel toward migrant workers and refugees is becoming increasingly frightening, to the point it is uncomfortable to see how accepted it is to be racist. This is the main reason why I want to leave this country. I do not want my children raised in a place where they are taught to hate without base, to fear others, to believe that they are chosen and better than others. Ynet should be ashamed of itself. It should learn that good journalism requires some sort of research and note just copying down what a these horrible xenophobic people said at a meeting. I am thoroughly appalled.

just scroll up !! There is just no aid for jews in poverty, how the hell could there be for ILLEGALS ????????

just nail this fact in your heads, all the bigots that are wrongly calling names !!!

The people who are protesting this are disgusting. they should put their efforts towards improving thier own schools instead of shunning other children and preventing them from getting care and education. they should move if they have a problem with it-- tel aviv would be better off without them.

It's interesting that Ynet does not exactly translate all the parts of the prior Hebrew article. While the overall story is similar, there appears to be an interest in the English language version to portray the residents in an even more negative light. Here are some points mentioned in the other article: * one resident not mentioned in English mentions that their kids cant go freely in the neighborhood garden because the foreign workers steal the children's mobile phones, wallets, as well as near attempts at rape that were prevented. * the same Suzy Choen who was quoted with only part of her response in the English version states that it is ridiculous that their is not enough kindergarten's for the local children and that they have to send them outside, yet these individual who do not reside there are getting a kindergarten in this neighborhood. * as a side point the neighborhood where they pushing for the facility is one of the poorer ones in the city * generally the residents are frustrated that they are being turned into a dumping ground and are calling out the hypocrites in the wealthier north of the city who complain about how these guys wont take the migrants to take the kids in their neighborhood kindergartens if they care so much about them Here is the Hebrew one http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3913290,00.html

Imagine if these poor people were Jewish immigrants in another democracy and residents protested the opening of a Jewish kindergarten in their neighborhood by claiming that these "filthy Jews" (sic) are bringing crime and taking money away from social services for their children. I can already hear the international outcry and the anti-Semitic accusations flying around. And you wonder why some people are afraid that Israel is starting to look like a new Apartheid ? Before you automatically accuse me of being an evil anti-Semite for saying that, don't forget that Apartheid only means "Living apart". By chance, we can see here in the comments that not everybody accept the almost institutionalized racism of Israel society toward anyone who is not of Jewish. So there's hope.

As a journalist you need to take care of the quotation it s a shame...

The people of Israel should be thankful especial those of you who discriminate and racist idea of the Sudanese or African refugees who came to Israel in the last few years.You people get cheap labourers and you appartment been rent by refugees and your are safe in you in most of your towns than before. You were been killed by the paletinian who come as workers to your towns and kill you and your children.That was bad I don't like it.And when peace ful people come you term them as murders, people with eyes to kill.Do you really mean what you say or you want to convince the government to take the sudanese away from Israel. The government knows and the municipality is the witness.