Anger, fear in south Tel Aviv after race riots

[FarCenter]

There were few black faces in HaTikva market in south Tel Aviv on Thursday, after a night of violence in which hordes of Israelis went on the rampage, smashing shops and property owned by Africans.

Wednesday night's race riots were the culmination of years of simmering tensions between native residents and a growing number of immigrants from Africa, a mixture of asylum seekers and those looking for work.

Over the past month, tensions have spilled over into violence with a spate of arson attacks on apartments housing refugees as locals lashed out following reports that a number of African refugees were being held on suspicion of raping Israeli women.

Resentment and anger were the dominant emotions among Israelis shopping in the market on Thursday, less than a day after demonstrations on the nearby Etzel Street descended into violent rioting.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120524-anger-fear-south-tel-aviv-after-race-riots

[PDJane]

1. Israelis tend to be bigots, and yes, that's personal experience.

Not, you will note, all Israelis and not most Jews, but Israelis do tend that way. I have had a shopkeeper here deny a teen change for the bus and ask me why we couldn't keep Canada 'clean.' I gave the kid money...she lives in my building...and the shop had to close down after some other incidents of the same kind.

This is more of the demonization of the other, and there is no country totally immune. I will point out, however, that when you foster the seige mentality, this is what happens. It's the Law of Unintended Consequences thing again.

[virgogal]

2. 60 Minutes just did a piece on how wonderful Tel Aviv is.

[TomClash]

3. Apartheid

What could possibly be wrong here?