A group haredi rabbis, activists and a city councilman held an emergency meeting in Bnei Brak yesterday to adopt a plan of action to stop African refugees from moving into their city.
African refugees in Tel Aviv
Bnei Brak Haredi Rabbis, Activists Move To Ban Jews Who Rent To Or Employ African Refugees
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
A group haredi rabbis, activists and a city councilman met in the haredi city of Bnei Brak yesterday to adopt a plan of action to stop African refugees from moving into their city, Ynet reported.
The emergency meeting was called because of what participants say is a surge in crime and their fear of “sexual lawlessness" from the refugees.
Women and children are afraid to walk the streets or use parks in the afternoon, organizers said, because the African refugees – who often have nowhere else to sleep, in part because of the rabbis' ban on renting apartments to them or hiring them – have “taken [the parks] over and scare them."
Participants agreed on a plan of action that will be finalized in a public meeting to be held soon. Among the steps the rabbis want to take are:
1. A patrol made up of volunteers. Participants hope it will help prevent theft along with preventing harassment and abuse of women and children by refugees.
"Each rabbi will ask members of his community to join [the patrol] while (telling them) to increase awareness to their surroundings and report any suspicious activity to the volunteers," Ynet reports the meeting summary reads.
2. Mesira – handing over people to the government authorities. Information against people who employ African refugees, who rent apartments to them, or who illegally subdivide apartments for them, will be given to the government.
A special rabbinical court made up of neighborhood rabbis would first warn these people who rent apartments to African refugees to stop doing so. If the landlords ignore the rabbis’ order, the rabbinical court would impose a ban on those landlords. It would also allow residents to report these landlords to the Tax Authority or other parts of government.