Extremists attack several Arab homes in Akka; more Israeli right wingers flock into the city

Extremist Jewish rioters continued their attacks against Arab homes and property in Akka, especially in the Eastern neighborhood. Eyewitnesses reported that the attack was more violent than yesterday and that the mobs were surrounding an Arab home.

Dozens of Arab residents in Akka warned that hundreds of Jewish residents from Akka and different parts of the country could carry out crimes that would lead to the loss of life and slammed the police for practically begging the attackers to leave.

The angry mob burnt an empty Arab home located near the Magen David Adom (Israel's national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service) medical center.  

The Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that yesterday Jewish rioters set fire to two houses and on Saturday evening the rioters burned a third house.

The Israeli police said that four rioters were detained after the Arab houses were torched, but that two of the arrestees were released shortly afterward due to their young age.

 Several Arab members of the Knesset stated that the Israeli right wing escalated its racist campaign and incited the Arabic presence in Akka.

On Friday at night, extremists burnt two Arab homes in the Eastern neighborhood and attacked a third home. Several Arab families had to leave their homes and relocate to different areas, fearing further attacks against them.  

A senior Israeli police commander in the area said that the police would act with severity against the rioters and will use all available means to stop the riots.

Since the clashes started four days ago, the police have arrested thirty residents including the son of a driver who was attacked by several Jewish residents; the attack led to the ongoing clashes.

Furthermore, Haaretz reported that three Jewish rioters were wounded on Saturday evening during clashes which took place in northern Akka.

 The violence renewed amidst meetings between police officials and Arab leaders to calm the situation.

Haaretz also said that Jewish hackers broke into a Hebrew-language website and posted incitement calls against Arabs in addition to calling on the Jews to boycott all Arab-owned businesses.

The ongoing riots have resulted so far in the destruction of 40 shops and 100 vehicles; nearly 30 residents have been arrested, and twenty of them are still imprisoned.

Jewish gang burns Palestinian home in the fourth day of violence in Akko

Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, Sunday October 12, 2008 - 03:11

Chanting “Death to Arabs”, a gang of 200 Israeli Jews set off from their neighborhood in Akko towards an indigenous Palestinian-Israeli neighborhood Saturday. They managed to set one house on fire before being stopped by Israeli police, who fired a water cannon at the crowd.

This march took place just hours after Israel's newly-elected Prime Minister Tzipi Livni traveled to the region to appeal for calm, as violent riots entered their fourth day. The town of Akko, or “Acre”, as it is known to Jewish Israelis, has been in turmoil since the evening of Yom Kippur four days ago.

Apparently, religious Jews in the town were offended when a Palestinian-Israeli resident in Akko drove his car on Yom Kippur. Jews are not allowed to drive on Yom Kippur, and while the Palestinian-Israeli who drove his car on the Jewish holiday is not Jewish, the Jewish-Israeli residents of the town were offended that he drove on their holiday.

Since that evening, Jewish-Israelis have been attacking Palestinian-Israelis in the town, going into their neighborhoods and attacking Palestinian-Israeli residents and their property. Akko, like every town in Israel that has both Jewish and Palestinian residents, is fully segregated, with very little crossover between neighborhoods. The attacks have led to stone throwing by Palestinian-Israeli youth, and the involvement of the Israeli police.

Image by Arabs48.com

Image by Arabs48.om