Immigration cops break into Tel Aviv church to nab illegal migrants
According to the unit's protocol inspectors are not permitted to break into religious places of worship.
By Dana Weiler-Polak Tags: illegal immigration Israel newsImmigration officers from the Oz task force broke into a church in South Tel Aviv on Monday and arrested illegal migrants, causing significant damage and breaking the ceiling.
According to the unit's protocols, the officers are not permitted to enter into places of worship, such as churches.
But during the early hours of the morning, they forced their way into the Redemption Power church, one of the most well known and popular African churches in Israel, which is situated on Lavenda street near Tel Aviv's central bus station.
Many worshipers, including local homeless people, usually fill the church during the day.
The immigration officers gathered everyone on the premises, but only arrested those who did not hold papers showing they had requested refugee status.
The officers said they damaged the ceiling because they were sure the church was hiding illegal migrants there.
In the past the churches were a haven protected against intruders of any kind. The immigration police were aware of this fact and instructed the officers according to the special procedure which banned arrests from churches.
Even when police violence against immigrant work escalated a clear agreement remained that they would not raid places of prayer, hospitals, and human rights organizations.
"This is a scandalous, harsh violation of all the past obligations" said the workers at a migrant workers hot-line. "Even immigration police who were known for their violent behavior and vicious arrests, made sure to state in their protocol that churches are protected territory."
The hot line added that "there is a feeling the police are crossing all the red lines, one after the other."
"They are arresting children, threaten refugees, and are now forcing their way into religious holy sites," they added.
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If the illegals got in, they could have been found and brought out. There was no need to damage things. This looks more like revenge against the goyim than arrest of illegal aliens.
I was horrified when chavez desecrated the synagogue in Caracas Venezuela.How low has Israel gone desecrating the church a place where people go to pray to God.I expect these things from chavez not from Israel.
police in some other country broke into a synagogue at prayer time to arrest suspects, broke down the ceiling and damaged the premises. There would be an international outcry. Why do we let the immigration police behave like this in our name? There should be a public outcry here. The government should pay for the church to be repaired, and apologise to the congregation.
Could you just imagine the response if immagration police in the US broke in to a syangogue to arrest Israeli jews who were not considered legal ? You would be deafened by the crys of Nazis, antisemetics and so on, yet here in Israel the border police thugs break the doors of a church. And they have the nerve to talk about a united jerusalem !
Israel has not only the right to a Jewish majority they have every right to maintain security by deporting Arabs as well as economic refugees. Every nation has the right to enforce immigration laws, Israel is no different. I just wish they were tougher on Arabs who are a security threat.
"Can a country have a nervous breakdown?" - NYC Guy Yes. One consequence is that big mistakes are made over small things. Illegal Migrants are certainly within the right of Israel to control. But Illegal Migrants cowering in a Church are not a major problem. It is when they go forth from the Church and seek employment that they might 'harm' the nation. And one does not have to break into a Church to arrest them when they leave it. Israel has paid an unnecessary price for an action which was not necessary.
Can Never be united under Jewish Occupation. Christian Sites can never be immune.
So? France and Sweden weren't founded on the basis of religious inequality and aren't currently engaged in discriminatory actions against their religious minorities.
into a Copenhagen church in order to remove those who were supposed to be deported. All this "red lines" talk is a sheer nonsense
assholism. Whoever sets his foot to this country mustn't complain.
"According to the unit's protocols, the officers are not permitted to enter into places of worship, such as churches." Guess this only applies to synagogues.