Smotrich: High Court is 'solely responsible' for Eritrean riot in Tel Aviv

Political leaders came out against the riots in Tel Aviv on Saturday by Eritrean migrants against their country’s government, including attacks against the current governing coalition’s handling of the situation.

“What happened today in the streets of Tel Aviv is not a legitimate protest, but severe violence. Justice must be meted out to the perpetrators, order must be restored, and lessons must be learned from the latest incident and the overall damage to governance under the current government,” said National Unity leader MK Benny Gantz on Saturday evening.

Opposition head Yair Lapid added that “the right-wing government fully promised that it would handle the immigration crisis. As usual with them, the situation only got worse and the chaos is raging. We handled it quietly, without statements large, in recognition of the complexity of the subject.

“This government is not functioning.”

During Saturday’s protests outside the Eritrean embassy at least 160 people were injured, eight in a serious condition, 13 in moderate, and 93 sustaining light injuries. Almost 50 police officers were also injured, most suffering from bruises and other injuries caused by stone-throwing, police confirmed.

“I am about to propose a bill to eliminate illegal migrants. The proposal will include a clause against High Court intervention,” said Likud MK Boaz Bismuth.

"In the Saturday riots, which were only the promo for what awaits us if we do not return the infiltrators to their countries of origin, there is only one responsible: the High Court. For years we have been warning, for years the High Court has prevented any action that would allow the infiltrators to be returned to their homes. That is precisely why we are leading the reforms in the judicial system that will allow elected officials to make decisions and carry them out for the citizens of Israel, their safety and security," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Saturday night.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced after Shabbat that “Following the serious riots in Tel Aviv, the prime minister decided to convene a special team of ministers to examine taking measures against the illegal migrants who participated in the violations of order, including deportation measures.”

The riots stemmed from complaints about the Eritrean Embassy's attempts to monitor and track refugees from the country - known as the “North Korea of Africa.”

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.