At least two Eritrean migrants were murdered by members of their community in politically-motivated attacks within the last week, police say.
By World Israel News Staff
Weeks after a massive riot between Eritrean migrants in Tel Aviv left some 200 people wounded, including a police officer who needed brain surgery after sustaining a serious head injury, an Eritrean man was stabbed to death and at least 10 others were wounded in brawls throughout Israel.
On Saturday evening, a group of Eritreans clashed on Herzl Street, the commercial heart of the coastal city of Netanya. One man was stabbed to death during the fighting, while at least eight others were injured in the fray.
Pictures circulating on social media depicted Israeli police in full riot gear breaking up the fracas, with the authorities confirming in a media statement that they had fired in the air in order to gain control of the situation.
The victim was likely an opponent of Eritrea’s controversial president, Isaias Afwerki, and the perpetrators of the attack probably support the strongman, police said.
Saturday’s slaying comes just days after another Eritrean migrant was killed during a similar brawl in Tel Aviv earlier in the week.
In a third incident on Friday, at least two Eritrean migrants were hospitalized in serious condition during a politically-charged street fight in south Tel Aviv.
There are some 17,000 Eritrean nationals residing in Israel, including both supporters and opponents of the east African country’s current government. According to Hebrew language media, there are bitter tensions within the migrant community based on political orientation, which often spills over into violence.
Following the September riot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to pursue deportation against lawbreakers in the community.
However, the right-wing governing coalition has yet to take any steps to follow through on that move, blaming the Supreme Court and pressure from the United Nations for tying their hands regarding options to repatriate Eritreans.
Previous governments have also dragged their feet on the issue of either granting refugee status or deporting Eritrean asylum seekers in Israel.