Last update - 00:00 11/02/2008
Jewish-owned home torched in northern Druze town of Peki'in
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent
A Jewish-owned home in the upper Galilee village of Peki'in was set on fire on Monday, a move police say was meant as a warning by Druze youth to locals who sell their homes to Jews.
The house was purchased four months ago by entrepreneur Naftali Friedman who planned to turn it into a hostel. The house is located adjacent to the village spring in the center of town and is currently empty due to renovations.
The home owner arrived Monday morning to find that tires were set on fire inside the home causing serious damage. No one was hurt in the incident.
Since violent riots broke out in November between police and Druze youth over the burning of a cellular antenna in the village there have been a number of incidents in which Jewish property was damaged.
The clashes left dozens injured, including three people who sustained injuries after police shot them using live rounds.
In December, the home of a Jewish woman who had been living in the town for a year was also lit on fire. The woman complained earlier that locals in the village had been harassing her and had tried to sabotage her property.
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