Infiltrators in front of the Knesset
Infiltrators in front of the KnessetHezki Ezra

The Israeli government’s policy towards illegal infiltrators will remain unchanged despite their ongoing protests, it was decided on Wednesday evening.

The decision was made following a meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Interior Minister Gideon Saar and Public Security Minister Yitzchak Aharonovitch. The meeting was attended by the head of the Tel Aviv District of the Israel Police, the Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office, and representatives of the Ministry of Justice.

It was decided that Israel will continue to transfer illegal infiltrators to the holding facility in Holot and continue to encourage infiltrators to leave Israel willingly.

Thousands of illegal infiltrators have been protesting since Sunday over a new law allowing their detainment in facilities for up to a year as their status is clarified.

On Wednesday, the infiltrators took their protest from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and surrounded the Knesset building.

The infiltrators demanded to meet Netanyahu and Saar. Leftist MKs requested that infiltrator representatives be allowed into the parliament building, but Knesset Speaker MK Yuli Edelstein did not approve the request.

Saar has previously stated that "only a small minority of the massive community even presented requests" for shelter as refugees, adding "the decisive majority of requests are from job seekers, and not refugees."

The illegal migrants' protests are organized by leftist groups that attempt to create the impression that they are spontaneous.

The United Nations criticized Israel’s policy towards illegal immigrants earlier this week, accusing Israel of “sowing fear and chaos” among the illegal aliens and declaring that they should be referred to as “asylum seekers” and not “infiltrators”.

Infiltration from Africa has been a major problem for Israel over the past several years, as tens of thousands have entered Israel trying to find work and have settled in working class neighborhoods in southern Tel Aviv, Eilat and many other cities.

Residents of these neighborhoods have been suffering from endless harassment, fear and violence perpetrated by the many illegal infiltrators.