Police crack down on south Tel Aviv pubs catering to foreigners
30 unlicensed businesses ordered to shut down after nighttime raid on entertainment venues; police say its goal is to halt crime wave and brawling.
Tel Aviv police launched Thursday night an operation to shut down entertainment venues in the southern part of the city run by foreign citizens without a license.
The operation focused on pubs in the vicinity of Tel Aviv old Central Bus Station frequented by migrant workers and asylum seekers. The campaign was the largest of its kind so far, though it was not the first time police raided such establishments.
Police said that the area has seen a crime wave, including brawls between intoxicated pub customers.
The nighttime operation occurred after weeks of preparation, in which police mapped out the largest venues in the city. Police investigation showed that many of them were operating without a license, leading to a decision to shut them down.
The raids resulted in directives to shut down about 30 venues. Police said they also found drugs, property believed to be stolen, and bootleg liquor. Confiscated materials were loaded onto trucks owned by the municipality and hauled off.
The police action came on the heels of the Israeli government's unanimous approval of a bill intended to prevent the 'infiltration' of African asylum seekers into Israel, after two initial drafts were shot down by the High Court for infringing on migrants' rights.
The new version of the bill, called the Infiltration Prevention Act, allowed the government to hold the asylum seekers for up to 20 months in the 'open-prison' Holot Detention Center.
