Multiple anti-expulsion rallies held worldwide
Hundreds of asylum seekers, activists call on Ugandan government to refuse to accept any migrants expelled from Israel in simultaneous protests in south Tel Aviv, Berlin, London and Paris; 'Israel has no refugee crisis, but it does have a leadership crisis,' says participant; South Tel Aviv Liberation Front holds Torah scroll inauguration in retort, symbolizing 'Israeli sovereignty over the African quarter.'
Similar protests, albeit sparsely attended, were held under the titled of "Uganda, say no to deportation" opposite Ugandan diplomatic missions in London, Berlin, Paris and Stockholm.
One of the Israeli protest's organizers—from the "South Tel Aviv Against the Expulsion" and "Stop the Expulsion" groups—said, "(Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu divulged that the migrant expulsion to Rwanda plan has collapsed."
"Now, with officials trying to close a deal with Uganda on behalf of the prime minister, we're urging the Ugandan government to refuse any agreement regarding Israeli asylum seekers," he added.
"While Israel is playing at politics, more than 200 people are waiting in prison with no constitutional justification. On the one hand, Uganda continues denying any agreement with Israel exists, but on the other, Netanyahu and (Interior Minister Aryeh) Deri are continuing to speak about special emissaries to Uganda," he concluded.
Participants of the Tel Aviv protest chanted slogans such as "No to human trafficking," "Israelis and refugees refuse to be enemies" and "Jews don't expel."
Shula Keshet, leader of the South Tel Aviv Against the Expulsion movement, said, "We're standing here in protest against the secret Uganda deal behind which is the forced expulsion from Israel of asylum seekers."
"Asylum seekers are human beings and not the pawns of the Israeli government, or any other entity. We demand the government cease using our distress—that of south Tel Aviv residents—which began more than 80 years ago, to expel asylum seekers. We will consent to no expulsion," she vowed.
South Tel Aviv resident Lital Bitton-Cohen added, "We stand here besides our neighbors to demand to stop this heinous game with human lives for political and economic interests. Israel has no refugee crisis to speak of, but it does have a leadership crisis."
"The contempt for the lives of asylum seekers and the ongoing travesty towards the neighborhood's residents must both be stopped," she demanded.
At the protest's conclusion, an asylum seeker called on member of the Sudanese community in Israel to arrive to the Levinsky neighborhood's garden this coming Saturday for another asylum seeker-only protest to commemorate the memory of their families members who perished in the Darfur genocide in Sudan.
Simultaneous to the protest, activists from the "South Tel Aviv Liberation Front" led by Sheffi Paz, which supports the expulsion plan, held an inauguration of a Torah scroll ceremony at a synagogue in the southern Neve Sha'anan neighborhood.
"In the heart of Neve Sha'anan, in a synagogue used as a drug den until just recently, a small miracle happens every day that reminds us to never give up hope," a participant said.
"Inaugurating the Torah scroll into a synagogue in the heart of the African quarter means so much. It signifies the realization of Israeli sovereignty on ground both the municipality and government handed over to foreigners, and it symbolizes our insistence to fight it out uncompromisingly for our right to be a free people in our country," he added.
Earlier Monday it was revealed by Ynet that Israel incentivized an African country last month in return for accepting to take it thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese nationals living in Israel as part of the government-approved plan.
While it remained unclear whether the deal was concluded or is expected to continue in the coming days or months, it was intended to engender consent by the same African country to being the expulsion's plan vaunted "third country."
