MKs Yaakov “Ketzaleh” Katz, of the nationalist Ichud Leumi party, and Nitzan Horowitz of the left-wing Meretz party teamed up on Thursday to investigate Israel's treatment of illegal entrants. Both politicians came away with a favorable impression.
The two visited prisoners in the Givon facility, which is used to incarcerate those caught after having entered Israel illegally or stayed in the country after their work visa has expired. The two toured the facility and met many of those currently detained in the building.
Detainees remain in Givon while awaiting deportation. Staff at the facility reported that many illegal entrants had been successfully returned to their home countries in recent months, as police have cracked down on the estimated hundreds of thousands of people present in Israel illegally.
Ketzaleh praised the management of the facility for treating foreign detainees with humanity and warmth. The people of Israel must be merciful, he said, and the treatment of detainees at Givon is an example of the mercy that the state of Israel should show foreigners.
Ketzaleh heads the Special Committee on Foreign Workers, and Horowitz is one of its members.