Jerusalem – Apartment Housing Foreign Workers Firebombed

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    In a suspected arson attack, a fire broke out overnight Sunday at an apartment in Jerusalem inhabited by foreign workers, leaving three people lightly injured. Photo by Uri Lenz/Flash90Jerusalem – The violent backlash against foreign workers struck Jerusalem early on Monday morning, after an arsonist attempted to burn down a building housing 50 foreign workers in the downtown area, according to Jerusalem police. Three people were injured in the blaze with minor burns on their arms and legs while attempting to escape the blaze. The arsonists also spray painted “Get out of the neighborhood!” on the wall outside the building, located on Jaffa Road next to the Mahane Yehuda market.

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    According to Jerusalem Fire and Rescue spokesman Asaf Abras, the fire started around 3:00 a.m. in the hallway of the building, when the arsonist attempted to break into the first floor apartment. Around ten people lived on the first floor of the building with a shared kitchen. A number of people on the upper floors were trapped and could not exit the building due to the flames. The fire blackened the entire first floor of the apartment and the stairwell on the first two floors. Hand prints were still visible in the soot of workers trying to escape down the stairs.

    Abras called the fire “a death trap” and warned that the outcome could have easily been tragic. The three people injured were brought to Shaare Tzedek Hospital and released later in the morning. Due to the graffiti and the materials found at the site of the blaze fire investigators are nearly certain this was arson, and the location of the fire in the ground floor hallway revealed that the intent was to kill or seriously injure the workers rather than scare them.

    Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat slammed the arson attack, and instructed Jerusalem Police Chief Nisso Shaham to “act with a strong hand” against any violence of this type in the city. Shaham created a special investigative unit to determine who is behind the attack.

    A number of months ago there was a similar arson attack, also on Jaffa Road closer to Zion Square, against a building home to many African migrants. Firefighters responded quickly and there were no injuries.

    A South Korean couple who lived on the top floor of the building said they had been there for eight years with no problems with anyone in the neighborhood. They said they had no idea why anyone would target their building, home mostly to workers from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.

    A neighbor who refused to give her name confirmed that aside from a few disagreements about loud music late at night or on Shabbat there were no conflicts between the foreign workers and the largely haredi neighborhood of Mekor Baruch. “It’s very quiet here, I have no issues with them,” said the woman. “But this [arson attack] doesn’t solve any problems, it’s not OK.” The woman added that the arsonists probably targeted the building at 88 Jaffa Road because it is the only building in the area that is home to exclusively foreign workers. Many foreign workers live in the area around the Mahane Yehuda shuk but in apartments mixed with other Israelis.

    Violent attacks against African migrants were previously concentrated in south Tel Aviv. Tensions are simmering after anti-African riots in the past two weeks, and the district attorney charged 10 minors on Thursday with racially motivated attacks on African migrants and their property.

    Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post


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    11 years ago

    Stop employment of illegal workers. The more Israel allows them to come in the more trouble there will be. They bring all their problems with them. Seal the borders, send them home. Why dont they go to some of the arab countries? Because the arabs dont want them!