Israel - Tel Aviv

[ericaviv]

In addition to other complex issues here in Israel, we are soon facing local Tel Aviv elections.

Tel Aviv has seen a large influx of around 100,000 illegal infiltrators from Eritrea and Sudan, due to our close proximity to Africa.

Like many European cities have experienced, this has placed enormous challenges and drain on resources in the poor South of the city. We have seen brutal crimes with rape being the largest problem. This year alone we've seen violent rapes including an 83yr old woman by a 20yr old Eritrean who raped and sodomized in her garden at 9am for three hours until disrupted by her grand children. A 16 old girl was brutally gang raped by 6 Eritrean men at the bus station, a six year old girl kidnapped by Sudanese men, and an 8yr girl raped in her home by an Eritrean and when her mother entered her room she was stabbed in the stomach...South Tel Aviv has become a no go area especially at night. 

A 27 year old student called May Golan, who was born and raised in South Tel Aviv has raised this issue to the attention of the people, as the left wing controlled press do not print the brutal stories.  She is fighting for the basic right of people to live in security, not too scared to leave their homes. She publishes a blog on her website www.maygolan.com - a few in English about her daily life in the south of tel aviv and it is very compelling and disturbing.

I am sure that many people, can relate to this issue and would wish her luck in campaigning for this issue.

[Pete Whitehead]

Yes indeed. Good luck to her

[Devonian]

I've just had a quick look on Google and it appears that the two leading candidates to be Tel Aviv mayor are from Labor, the incumbent, and from Meretz. That would put Tel Aviv very firmly on the left of Israel's political spectrum. What is the party political make up of Tel Aviv council at present?

[Richard Allen]

Aug 17, 2013 18:37:04 GMT Devonian said:

I've just had a quick look on Google and it appears that the two leading candidates to be Tel Aviv mayor are from Labor, the incumbent, and from Meretz. That would put Tel Aviv very firmly on the left of Israel's political spectrum. What is the party political make up of Tel Aviv council at present?

Tel Aviv is mostly secular and liberal. Exact figures for the council don't mean much because last time Ron Huldai, the long term incumbent Mayor ran on a "One Tel Aviv" list which was supported by Labor and Kadima, and IIRC a couple of smaller parties.

[ericaviv]

Aug 17, 2013 18:01:55 GMT Pete Whitehead said:

Yes indeed. Good luck to her

Thanks Pete!

[ericaviv]

Aug 17, 2013 18:37:04 GMT Devonian said:

I've just had a quick look on Google and it appears that the two leading candidates to be Tel Aviv mayor are from Labor, the incumbent, and from Meretz. That would put Tel Aviv very firmly on the left of Israel's political spectrum. What is the party political make up of Tel Aviv council at present?

Hi - The council is dominated by a left wing coalition lead by Ron Huldai - the current mayor - and he will be be very hard to move. The only real challenger is indeed the Mertz candidate, the first openly gay member of the knesset. Both candidates will continue to ignore the poorer south of the city, and continue to fund expensive projects in the center and northern parts.

It is quite ironic that the two strongest - most funded - candidates are from the left, yet they ignore social needs in poorer areas, except for funding projects for the illegal immigrants. Being a Jewish state, where Jews came here as refugees after WW2, the left seem to think that illegal immigrants should recieve funding priority over it's own poor citizens. Anyone that dares question this policy is deemed a racist, when in fact it's just simply unfair to dump illegal immigrants in a poor area at the expense of the citizens. 

Woth noting that Tel Aviv has for years hosted legal foreign workers from many other countries like Philipines, India, China, and Nepal - but it is only in the last 2 years that the influx of Eritrean and Sudanese illegal immigrants that violent crimes and especially rape has occurred. Indeed the above legal foreign workers are also victims to viloent crimes that they often fail to report for fear of themselves ending up deported.

What May Golan is trying to do is to at least hold council accountable, because she will fight against all the odds. Thanks to her, the illegal immigrant issue was raised during the general elections and became a hot topic. In the abscence of more funding we are using the power of the internet with our volunteers help to get the message out, because tv/radio/print media opportunities on the major networks are few and far between as they don't want to expose the problem. Even when there is a violent rape, the government appointed head of the national police quash media coverage often for weeks with the excuse that the general public will be unnerved - so it becomes old news, and the media have an excuse not to cover it.  Despite this, we do have support of the local police so leak stories over facebook and internet forums.  

[ericaviv]

Aug 17, 2013 20:02:37 GMT Richard Allen said:

Aug 17, 2013 18:37:04 GMT Devonian said:

I've just had a quick look on Google and it appears that the two leading candidates to be Tel Aviv mayor are from Labor, the incumbent, and from Meretz. That would put Tel Aviv very firmly on the left of Israel's political spectrum. What is the party political make up of Tel Aviv council at present?

Tel Aviv is mostly secular and liberal. Exact figures for the council don't mean much because last time Ron Huldai, the long term incumbent Mayor ran on a "One Tel Aviv" list which was supported by Labor and Kadima, and IIRC a couple of smaller parties.

Here in Israel, the left and right of politics is more determined on the stance regarding state issues and our relationship with the Arab neighbours - so not unusual to find that a liberal person can be quite right wing at a national level.

It is also the case that the extreme left wing groups - like Meretz - who support illegal immigrant issues, do not believe in the state of Israel being majority Jewish/Israeli - but at the Tel Aviv council level Meretz ignore Arab issues in Jaffa - which is essentially south tel aviv ...  

Thank you all for your interest and comments - we are supporting May Golan for safety on the southern streets and funding for poorer citizens. If we can get a foot in the door at the council level - they cannot as easily ignore our fight and protests on the inside, and we'll be a loud thorn in their side at every single meeting by exorcising our democractic right. 

[Khunanup]

I'm sorry Eric, but your statement 'it is only in the last 2 years that the influx of Eritrean and Sudanese illegal immigrants that violent crimes and especially rape has occurred' points to you looking for scapegoats. It is highly unbelievable that Tel Aviv has no issues of violent personal crime already. I would welcome May Golan's campaign if it was looking to improve the lives of everyone who lives in Tel Aviv regardless whether they are citizens or not and campaigning to stop violent crime from whatever source. Also if people are known to be illegal immigrants and there is no attempt to deport them then that in itself would be unlawful (which bearing in mind your rather conservative national government who set policy on such things I can't imagine they would let that kind of situation go on too long).

I believe a plurality of views is good in politics and that no-one's voice should be drowned out by forgive me if I don't wish you luck campaigning against black Africans.

[ericaviv]

Aug 17, 2013 23:12:12 GMT Khunanup said:

I'm sorry Eric, but your statement 'it is only in the last 2 years that the influx of Eritrean and Sudanese illegal immigrants that violent crimes and especially rape has occurred' points to you looking for scapegoats. It is highly unbelievable that Tel Aviv has no issues of violent personal crime already. I would welcome May Golan's campaign if it was looking to improve the lives of everyone who lives in Tel Aviv regardless whether they are citizens or not and campaigning to stop violent crime from whatever source. Also if people are known to be illegal immigrants and there is no attempt to deport them then that in itself would be unlawful (which bearing in mind your rather conservative national government who set policy on such things I can't imagine they would let that kind of situation go on too long).

I believe a plurality of views is good in politics and that no-one's voice should be drowned out by forgive me if I don't wish you luck campaigning against black Africans.

Firstly we are not campaigning against black africans but laws to be implemented to hold illegal immigrants accountable to the law like everyone else - it's precisely because they are black africans that the lawmakers and government are so cautious and unwilling to be seen to being racist.

FOR EXAMPLE: If a legal Nepalise, Indian, or any other legal foreign worker comitts a crime they will be deported, they have to pay for their own healthcare, they cannot open illegal businesses, and the leftist organizations do not assist them. In the case of illegal immigrants, they have a special status not to be deported, free healthcare, and illegal not tax paying businesses thrive...

So essentially we are campagining for equality whereby laws of the land apply to all - citizens, legal workers, illegal immigrants. 

Re: crime stats - facts are facts - i would be happy to send links to press of official police stats - just joined this forum so not sure if i can post several links.

I am not trying to find a scapegoat, this country has many other issues, and yes this part of the world is a tough neighborhood - just look to Syria, Egypt in the last weeks/months/days - but gang rape, pensioner rape, infant rape, stabbings, these types of crimes are new to this city/country - missiles, suicide bombings, wars, and other terrorist acts yes - but not street crimes anywhere near this level, and it has always been a great country for young kids giving them great freedoms - we are now afraid of our kids travelling on buses alone and defintately not to areas of the south. Women cannot walk on the streets without being verbally or physically abused ....

The current mayor has not invested resources in policing the area or making the lives in the poorer neighborhoods better - all the money has been invested in projects in the wealthier areas where he has votes. We are campaigning for equality in allocation of resources, tougher applicable laws for ALL, and safety on the streets, both north and south.

[ericaviv]

Here is a link to a photo gallery of south tel aviv so you can gain a glimpse of what it is like: www.maygolan.com/#!ron-huldai-may-golan-south-tlv/c1roa

[ericaviv]

(you have to cut and paste the entire link to get to the gallery page)

[Pete Whitehead]

Aug 17, 2013 22:17:51 GMT ericaviv said:

It is quite ironic that the two strongest - most funded - candidates are from the left, yet they ignore social needs in poorer areas, except for funding projects for the illegal immigrants. Being a Jewish state, where Jews came here as refugees after WW2, the left seem to think that illegal immigrants should recieve funding priority over it's own poor citizens. Anyone that dares question this policy is deemed a racist, when in fact it's just simply unfair to dump illegal immigrants in a poor area at the expense of the citizens. 

Such a familiar situation - its the same the (western) world over it seems and as if to prove the point along comes khunanup with his knee-jerk response accusing you of 'scapegoating'. I didn't imagine this kind of situation existed in Israel which I had assumed would be immune to the kind of self-hating, self-destructing tendencies of the liberal establishments in Western Europe. Not least I would have thought that because of the security situation the borders would be watertight so its difficult to see how these people are getting in without the acquiescence of the authorities.
That photo gallery makes depressing viewing indeed but its an all too familiar sight in many (former?) European cities, as is the link with high crime, especially particularly brutal sexual crimes. The statistics from a number of Scandinavian cities for example are striking

[ericaviv]

Aug 18, 2013 7:58:55 GMT Pete Whitehead said:

Aug 17, 2013 22:17:51 GMT ericaviv said:

It is quite ironic that the two strongest - most funded - candidates are from the left, yet they ignore social needs in poorer areas, except for funding projects for the illegal immigrants. Being a Jewish state, where Jews came here as refugees after WW2, the left seem to think that illegal immigrants should recieve funding priority over it's own poor citizens. Anyone that dares question this policy is deemed a racist, when in fact it's just simply unfair to dump illegal immigrants in a poor area at the expense of the citizens. 

Such a familiar situation - its the same the (western) world over it seems and as if to prove the point along comes khunanup with his knee-jerk response accusing you of 'scapegoating'. I didn't imagine this kind of situation existed in Israel which I had assumed would be immune to the kind of self-hating, self-destructing tendencies of the liberal establishments in Western Europe. Not least I would have thought that because of the security situation the borders would be watertight so its difficult to see how these people are getting in without the acquiescence of the authorities.
That photo gallery makes depressing viewing indeed but its an all too familiar sight in many (former?) European cities, as is the link with high crime, especially particularly brutal sexual crimes. The statistics from a number of Scandinavian cities for example are striking

The Eritreans, via Sudan, would either take a train to Egypt or paid by their government to accompany trucks smuggling weapons - all men are army trained.
Once in Egypt, they would head to Israel. (This is all docmented in UN reports)

Egyptian soldiers and/or Bedouin tribes would shoot at them entering the border to Israel - so Israeli soldiers - sometimes firing back at Egyptians, felt obliged to help them, give them food and medical attention. The government then did not know what to do with them, so just gave them a bus pass to south tel aviv - every day, bus loads would arrive in the early hours.

Essentially the Eritreans are escaping national service and come here to earn money to send home. Israel too has national service and i know of no country in the world that would host 100,000 Israeli men escaping their national duty and claiming refugee status. 

Eritrea and Sudan have for years been under UN investigation and embargo for weapons smuggling, human trafficking, and terrorist training. Osama Bin Laden was hosted, lived and trained in Sudan for many years. Both countries hate each other, and their brutal violence towards each other continues once they arrive here in Tel Aviv. 

Both countries are also under UN focus for their abusive treatment towards women. Sharia law is imposed and female circumcision, marriages of girls as young as 8yrs old, and rape inside and outside of marriage is common. This mentality and culture of violence towards women in their own countries, is what is being recorded on the streets of South Tel Aviv now .... 

After many years, the government here finally finished a more secure border construction, so the flow has stopped - meanwhile there are already 50,000 children born here to illegal immigrants - small figures perhaps, but we are a very small country.

Would be interested in viewing crime stats of what is happening in other parts of Europe.

Again thanks for your interest. 

[Richard Allen]

Ron Huldai re-elected with 53% of the vote compared to 38% for the Meretz candidate.

[Merseymike]

So the right-wing candidate hardly featured....not that those terms mean all that much in present-day Israel.

[Sibboleth]

They do, though they don't mean quite what they do elsewhere. The election in Jerusalem (right-right, just as Tel Aviv was left-left) was more competitive, though the incumbent won easily enough in the end.

[Richard Allen]

Oct 23, 2013 18:41:03 GMT Merseymike said:

So the right-wing candidate hardly featured....not that those terms mean all that much in present-day Israel.

Right wing candidates hardly featuring in Tel Aviv is about as a surprising as the same thing being the case in Liverpool.