Slippery Slope

Steven Paul Jock, a citizen of Sudan staying in Israel since 2007, was badly beaten last week by four Israelis in Netanya and needed medical attention. When he reached the police station to file a complaint, the officer in charge denied his request to get the case number, or a photocopy of the file. The officer also threatened him that if he made a big story out if the case, she would see to his deportation to Sudan. She then refused to identify to Jock.

(Hebrew)

State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, delivered a special report to Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, regarding an alleged conflict of interest by the former. In May of 2010 Steinitz granted permits to bring 630 foreign workers for ”Shapir Engineering”, a contractor for which Gary Hakim, Steinitz’ brother-in-law, is a regulation consultant and a lobbyist. The act of granting the permits was against the will of officials in the Ministry.

(Hebrew)

The Petah Tikva District Court ordered the release of the spouse of an asylum seeker. The woman lost her visa after giving birth to her son, was arrested and forced under pressure to agree to deportation. A ruling by the High Court of Justice stated that the procedure whereby foreign workers are being deported after giving birth, is illegal.

(Hebrew)

Seven children, aged one to three and a half, have been arrested in two days, along with their mothers, by Unit Oz inspectors. They were taken to the entry-denied facility in Ben-Gurion airport.

(Hebrew)

Ten suspects, including manpower corporation owners, were arrested on suspicion of large funds collected from Chinese foreign workers, who were illegally referred to work in construction. Also, they are suspected of tax crimes committed, usage of false invoices, and collecting tens of millions of shekels worth of “black money” from the workers.

(hebrew)

The household of the Government Legal Counsel, Yehuda Weinstein, has employed a foreign worker without a permit. According to the Ministry of Justice, his employment was terminated back in 2009, before Weinstein was appointed as Counsel. “According to the check made by Mrs. Weinstein, and according to documents presented to her, the worker was legal and residing lawfully in the country at the time of his employment. She did not ask for any other confirmation”, said the Ministry. Weistein has previously informed the representatives of Nili Priel, the wife of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, he intends to indict her for employing a foreign worker. (Hebrew)

Human rights organizations claim that lately, the activity of the OZ unit – the enforcement unit of the Population and Immigration Authority – has escalated, and that there are mounting complaints by foreign workers against enforcers who used violence and threats against them. Inter alia, a work immigrant suffered from a strain in his hand due to the way he was handcuffed, and a female worker was struck at her stomach and was hospitalized as a result. The Ashkelon police refused to accept the complaint against the enforcers, saying that workers complaining are suspect of violence themselves. The manager of OZ, Yehuda Ben Ezra, said he was “taking great care there would be no violence activity in the unit, and I think it’s humane and sensitive. People who sneak across the border and stay illegally, that’s a felony. They’re spitting at the law, so [why] should be deal with whether the enforcer raised his fist or not?” (Hebrew)