Responding to statements made earlier Saturday night by Interior Minister Eli Yishai, that Israel must prevent more immigration of foreign workers, in part to prevent them from bringing in diseases, MK Nitzan Horovitz (Meretz) called Yishai a "racist who has failed in his job.

"If he is so worried about foreign workers he should stop the 'revolving door' system he supervises, where foreign workers are deported, only to be replaced by new foreign workers," Horovitz said.