Inside Israel’s Unexpected Front: What Everyone’s Missing About Tel Aviv’s Violence!

An unexpected front opens in Israel. Amidst its largest civil crisis, due to the controversial judicial reform plan announced by the government in January, which sparked massive protests for 35 consecutive weeks, violence escalates in Tel Aviv.

On Saturday, clashes between Eritreans, both supporters and opponents of the Eritrean regime, rocked the southern part of the Israeli city, highlighting the legal limbo in which thousands of asylum seekers find themselves. After hours of confrontation between the two Eritrean groups, using iron bars, sticks, and stones, 170 people were injured (19 severely), 39 arrested, and significant damage was inflicted on buildings and vehicles.

Following this violent skirmish, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting on Sunday to suggest stringent measures against the rioters. Among these, the extension of detentions and the potential immediate deportation of the illegal immigrants involved in the clashes. Netanyahu expressed difficulty in understanding why there would be legal obstacles to the expulsion of those declaring support for the Eritrean regime.

The previous week, several Eritrean churches in Israel had sent a letter to the authorities requesting the disapproval of an event organized by the Eritrean embassy due to the risk of clashes. Despite the escalating violence, local authorities maintain that the majority of Eritreans came to Israel to work.

Adding to this are the political controversies in Israel, with the opposition defending the role of the Supreme Court and blaming Netanyahu for the immigrant situation in the country.