Tension still present in Akka

Friday October 10, 2008 22:54 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli sources reported that clashes between Arab and Jewish residents in Akka (Acre) renewed on Friday following violent clashes that took place on the eve of Yum Kippur feast.

Image by Arabs48.com

The sources stated that dozens of Jewish youth gathered in front of a house of an Arab resident as several masked residents gathered there too.

 The police intervened and dispersed the crowd later on as reported by the Israeli radio.

The Arabs48 news website reported that the clashes renewed on Friday afternoon as dozens of Jewish youth held a procession carrying Israeli flags and headed to an Arab home which was attacked on Thursday.

The website added that the police intervened in order to bar them from attacking the home.

The website also reported that dozens of Jewish youth carried a series of attacks overnight targeting several Arab homes stores.

A police commander said on Friday that dozens of policemen were deployed in the western sector of the town and added that “the situation could explode at any given moment”, he also “right now, it seems to be calm, but it is a matter of time”.

Meanwhile, the Acre (Akka)municipality and several theater officials cancelled a theater event due to the clashes. The cancelation comes only one day after Acre Mayor called on the Jews participating in the event to consider it a national event.

The event is an annual activity held every year following the Yum Kippur Jewish feast, Acre was supposed to host it in the period between October  10 and 15. Several Arab figures said that this event only aims at voiding the Arab culture and history in Akka.

Shimon Lankri, the Mayor of Akka, that the decision to cancel the event was made as the municipality does not want to risk further clashes due to the high tension. The event was scheduled for next week.

Furthermore, Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that Avi Dichter, the Israeli Public Security Minister, stated earlier on Friday that the police will be firm in dealing with any resident responsible for inciting or the clashes which started on Wednesday.

 He also slammed Jewish and Muslim residents for what he described as “incitement which caused the escalation of the clashes”.

 Dichter added that some of the calls by Jews for the residents to carry arms are also incitement, and stated that the security devices are now checking the calls in mosques asking the Arab residents to take off to the streets, Haaretz reported.

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