Sheffi Paz

Since 2012, Paz has had a significant role in the social movement against illegal immigration from Africa to Israel, as a member of the organization "Otef Tahana HaMerkazit". Paz led a branch of the organization, which calls itself the "South Tel Aviv Liberation Front". She documents crime and homelessness among the migrant population in the neighborhood through video.[4] She takes interviews with the media, organizes protests and hangs signs with the goal of convincing the Israeli public that the migrant population in south Tel Aviv causes serious problems for the native residents. With this goal she has partnered with various right-wing Israeli organizations. She protests the migrants' use of public parks, schools, and other public resources. She frequently confronts human rights activists that advocate for migrants, claiming that they are violating the rights of the native, low socio-economic class residents, who feel abandoned by the state and city governments. Although she voted for Meretz for decades, her confrontations with the Israeli left have pushed her political views rightwards.[5] In her words, "There is a growing group of former leftists who are bringing new energy to the right. Perhaps here we see the beginning of a new right-wing constituency, which will return the secular right to public consciousness."[6]

Since August 2017 Paz has led weekly demonstrations opposite the house of the former head of the Supreme Court of Israel, Miriam Naor, in Rehavia, Jerusalem, and outside the house of the current head Esther Hayut in Tzahala, north Tel Aviv.[7][8] In November 2017 she was arrested during a protest that she led opposite the house of the head of the Supreme Court.[9] According to Paz, in an ideal world she would be in favor of abolishing borders, nations, and religions, but according to her, "it's impossible, we need to survive, and I am a Zionist by the basic meaning of the word. We need our own country, and once it isn't, it's over. There are minorities here, so should we create more?"[10]

Paz has had numerous violent encounters with Africans and has been arrested 14 times over the course of her activism.[11] She also has had a restraining order placed against her by social activist Sigal Avivi.[11]

In October 2017 Paz created a crowdfunding campaign in order to fund activism against illegal immigration, which raised about 500 thousand shekels.[12]

In September 2019, Paz and bereaved mother Meirav Hajaj vandalised the entrance of office of the European Union delegation in Israel.[13] They spray-painted slogans in red paint which read: “EU get out” and “German money kill Jews”.[14] Paz admitted to the vandalism and handed herself over to police.