Gov't considers deploying Border Guard forces in south Tel Aviv
Public Security Ministry believes police cannot handle crime, violence in volatile area alone, considers reinforcements; activists oppose step. 'Deployment of Border Guard will only exacerbate situation,' says one
The ministry came to the understanding that the Tel Aviv District Police lacks the manpower to handle the now volatile area, in the wake of Wednesday's violent protest which ended with 17 arrests.
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The minister is considering how to reinforce police forces in south Tel Aviv to handle the existing problems," a source at the Public Security Ministry said.
This will not be the first time that Border Guard forces operate inside cities. In October 2010, Border Guards helped police fight a wave of murders in the city of Lod.
South Tel Aviv on fire (Photo: Yaron Brener)
But the prospect of such reinforcements entering the area was met with fierce objection.
"The residents' distress is real. The stationing of Border Guard forces will only exacerbate the situation," said Sigal Rosen of the Migrant Workers Hotline.
"Instead of adopting the police's stance and allowing the asylum seekers to work during their stay in Israel, the government continues to take violent steps which will not help anyone," said Attorney Oded Peler of the Civil Rights Association.
Rioter arrested during Wednesday protest (Photo: Yaron Brener)
Wednesday's protest was attended by right-wing activists and politicians. Some 1,000 people protested the government's handling of the flow of African migrants into Israel.
Some of the demonstrators shattered the windshield of a vehicle in which three African migrants were riding. The migrants were not injured.
Smaller scale demonstrations were held in other Israeli cities.
Yaron Doron, Reuven Weiss, Telem Yahav and Adva Cohen contributed to this report
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