Israel PM: illegal African immigrants threaten identity of Jewish state
Source: The Guardian
Israel PM: illegal African immigrants threaten identity of Jewish state
Binyamin Netanyahu reignites row over fate of thousands of African
migrants in Israel
Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 May 2012 16.40 BST
The Israeli prime minister has stoked a volatile debate about refugees and migrant workers from Africa, warning that "illegal infiltrators flooding the country" were threatening the security and identity of the Jewish state.
"If we don't stop their entry, the problem that currently stands at 60,000 could grow to 600,000, and that threatens our existence as a Jewish and democratic state," Binyamin Netanyahu said at Sunday's cabinet meeting. "This phenomenon is very grave and threatens the social fabric of society, our national security and our national identity." Israel's population is 7.8 million.
His comments follow media reports of rising crime, including two gang rapes, in southern Tel Aviv, where many African migrants are concentrated. However, Micky Rosenfeld, spokesman for the Israeli police, said the overall crime rate in Israel had fallen. There had been one alleged rape of a teenage girl connected to the migrant community, for which three suspects were in custody, he added.
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