By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East
(Reuters)
ACRE, Israel – In the evening of October 8, clashes between Jewish Israelis and Israeli Arabs broke out in the port city of Acre (Akko) in northern Israel. The riots began when a group of Jewish youths attacked an Israeli Arab for driving his car on Yom Kippur. According to police, there was provocation as the motorist, Taufik Jamal, intentionally drove his car through a Jewish neighborhood on Yom Kippur and had the radio turned up. Yom Kippur is the most holy day of the Jewish calendar, during which it is considered offensive to drive in much of Israel.
However, according to Jamal he was picking his daughter up from a relative’s house. Even though it was Yom Kippur and driving is generally banned, he drove to get his daughter since it was late. According to Jamal he drove slowly and had the radio off. When he arrived at the his relative’s house, a group of Jewish youths began throwing stones at his 18 year old son and his son’s friend; hitting them in the face and chest.
Jamal states that he called the police, who attempted to sneak the three men out of the neighborhood. When they were spotted by the youths, Jamal, his son, his son’s friend, and the police officers were forced to flee. Jamal told Yedioth News, “Only now do I understand that they wanted to lynch us like the terrorists lynched the Jewish soldiers in Ramallah.”
“Rumors then spread out, namely from mosques, claiming that the motorist had been killed, prompting several hundred Arabs to take to the streets,” Mickey Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, said. Violence escalated as Jewish Israelis and Israeli Arabs clashed in the streets, throwing rocks and chanting slogans at each other. Witnesses and police report that several hundred people were involved in the riots and that nearly 100 cars have been damaged and 30 stores vandalized.
Violence and high tensions in Acre continued into October 9 and October 10. 500 extra police officers were deployed to assist the 200-strong local force, and maintain peace in the city. Police set up road blocks to separate the two groups. The police have also used tear gas, stun grenades, and water cannons to disperse crowds. Rosenfeld reports that 12 people have been detained and two protesters and one police officer were lightly injured.
Police are not only on high alert in Acre but also in other mixed areas where Jewish Israelis and Israeli Arabs live together, especially in the Old City in Jerusalem. Acre has a high population of Israeli Arabs with one third of its 50,000 residents being Israeli Arabs. Around 20 percent of Israel’s population are Arabs, most are descendants of Arabs who stayed in Israel after the creation of the Jewish state in 1948. While they have full rights as citizens, Israeli Arabs (who also call themselves Israeli Palestinians) often complain of discrimination.
Avi Dichter, the Public Security Minister, said that he would ensure the instigators of the riots were arrested and blamed MPs on both sides for making inflammatory comments, with leaders from both communities accusing the other of carrying out a pogrom. In addition, Israel Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen called on public figures and local leaders not to fan the flames of violence.
For more information, please see:
AFP – Israeli Town Hit by Third Day of Jewish-Arab Clashes – 10 October 2008
Al Jazeera – Israeli on Alert After Acre Clashes – 10 October 2008
BBC – Israeli City ‘Calm’ After Riots – 10 October 2008
Jerusalem Post – Acre Clashes Briefly Renewed as Jews Enter Eastern Quarter – 10 October 2008
Times – Yom Kippur Riots Erupt in Acre After Arab Drives Car Through Jewish Area – 10 October 2008
Yedioth News – Akko Riots: Police Ordered on Heightened Alert – 10 October 2008
Associated Press – Clashes Erupt in Mixed Arab-Jewish City in Israel – 9 October 2008
Reuters – Jews and Arabs Clash in Northern Israeli City – 9 October 2008
Yedioth News – Arab Motorist: I Narrowly Escaped Lynch in Akko – 9 October 2008
