What about our dignity?

Something befell Israel on Monday -- the High Court of Justice struck down the "infiltrator law," ruling that it violated the Basic Law that protects human dignity and liberty. In the same breath, the justices added: "The result will be tough for the residents of south Tel Aviv."

The result will indeed be tough for south Tel Aviv residents, and I am one of them. These are residents who are afraid to walk the streets in the evening, as south Tel Aviv long ago turned into a type of "slum." These are residents who have been exposed to diseases that had already disappeared from Israel, because no one is investing enough in health services in this part of the city. These are residents who have to cope with sewage flowing in the streets and crumbling infrastructure, caused by the exploding population numbers. These are residents who on Holocaust Remembrance Day struggle to honor the dead while their neighbors hold parties. These are residents who send their children to faraway schools so they can get a proper education. The truth is simply that we are fed up. We won't agree to suffer any longer!

In recent years, we have engaged in difficult campaigns to find a comprehensive solution that would bring some relief to residents. Not out of hatred, God forbid, but rather because we have been abandoned. We don't have safety or quality of life, and apparently no one cares.

The south Tel Aviv time bomb continues to tick, and we have been left with no solution. For several years already, we've been given the runaround by the political, justice, law enforcement and municipal systems, and there is no solution in sight that would ensure the safety and general welfare of south Tel Aviv residents.

We support humane solutions, but we won't let south Tel Aviv residents pay the price. This isn't humane, it's abuse. Decision makers must be so kind as to take a brave step and find a comprehensive and immediate solution. The first move would be to disperse the infiltrator population throughout the country, not just in south Tel Aviv. A legal solution should then be found to reduce the infiltrator population. There needs to be immediate investment in enforcement and the safety of south Tel Aviv residents must be protected.

As a resident of south Tel Aviv, I must note with regret that it seems that everyone forgot that the Basic Law on human dignity and liberty also applies to us.

Shlomo Maslawi is a Tel Aviv city councilman with Likud and the city's Hatikva neighborhood long-time political leader.