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Hezbollah hails 'heroic' Arab fight in Acre against 'barbaric' assaults
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Reuters
Tags: Acre, Israel News, Jews 

Hezbollah on Tuesday hailed the actions of Israeli Arabs in clashes that erupted last week in Acre as "heroic" resistance against "barbaric" assaults by Jewish residents.

In a statement the group released, it hailed the "Heroic resistance aimed at protecting land and honor... [from] the violent and barbaric assaults by the Zionists."

The violence in the mixed northern city began Wednesday when an Arab resident drove into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in the city on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, during which Israelis across the country refrain from driving.
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Outraged at what they described as a deliberate provocation, the Jewish residents assaulted the driver, sparking riots that raged in the city for five days.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government on Tuesday condemned Israel over the clashes, saying the violence was an Israeli attempt to drive the Arabs out of the mixed city.

The official newspaper of the Syrian government Tishrin published a notice Tuesday, saying "Israel is trying to frighten the Arabs in efforts to drive them out."

"This is additional proof that Israel hates Arabs and wants to 'purify' its territory from all Arab presence," the newspaper argued.

In addition to the notice, the newspaper, which reflects the platform of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, published a column Tuesday attacking Israel over its role in the riots. "The events in Acre underscore the spreading of racism on Israel's streets, and they refute any claim that Israel is the cradle of democracy," senior columnist Omar Jaftaly wrote.

Israeli Arab MKs slam arrest of Arab driver who sparked riots

Also Tuesday, Israeli Arab lawmakers voiced harsh criticism on Tuesday over the arrest of Tawfik Jamal, the Arab man who drove into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Acre on Yom Kippur sparking the 5 days of violence between Jews and Arabs in the city.

Jamal was arrested on Monday on suspicions of "harming religious sensitivities, speeding and reckless endangerment" in connection to the violence.

MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am-Ta'al) told Israel Radio on Tuesday that the arrest was an unreasonable police decision that will not contribute to calming the violence. He added that the arrest lacked legal justification and that it represented a capitulation to Jewish hooligans.

Hadash Chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh also condemned the arrest, saying it aimed to appease right wing extremists. Barakeh stated it was MK Effie Eitam (National Union - National Religious Party) who demanded the arrest after having inquired during a meeting of the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee Sunday why the driver was still roaming free.

"The police abused a lynch victim while protecting gangs of extremist settlers" Barakeh said, demanding the driver's immediate release.

On Monday, an Acre court extended Jamal's remand by three days, pending further investigation.

On Sunday, Jamal told the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee that he would "sacrifice his neck" to bring coexistence back to the bi-national northern city.

"If what I did caused this, I am ready to sacrifice my neck right here on this table, on lowered gallows, just to return peace and quiet back to the city of Acre, to bring co-existence back to its place.

Jamal said that contrary to the accusations brought against him, he had not been drunk nor playing loud music when he entered the Jewish neighborhood last Wednesday. "I just wanted to go home, I made a mistake and tried to ask for forgiveness. This has been a harrowing experience," he said.

Jamal went on to say that he had been one of the founders of a community co-existence committee in Acre: "We invented co-existence," he said. "They have made me out to be a murderer, they've turned me into a fascist. We are not Nazis, we are not fascists."

Jamal's comments sparked a dispute between right-wing and Arab lawmakers, including mutual accusations of fanning the flames. Others called for calm and coexistence.

"We must not be dragged into conflict and the chase for political achievements," MK Reuven Rivlin said. "We should see how to live together."

Nineteen legislators met for the urgent debate, and called on the state to compensate Acre residents whose homes, businesses or cars were damaged in the five days of violent riots. Internal Affairs Committee chair Ophir Pines-Paz noted the 2005 precedent in the village of Maghar, following clashes between Druze and Christian residents. Artists harmed by the cancellation of the Acre Fringe Theater Festival also called for compensation.

"We call on the police to act decisively against those who took the law into their own hands and fanned the riots both with incitement and violence," Pines-Paz said.

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit announced following the meeting that the ministry would allocate NIS 1 million to the city to repair damages from the riot.



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      1.   They swore allegiance to "the State of Israel and its laws" 08:01  |  Jean Van Daem 12/10/08
      2.   Amazing 08:51  |  CR Ben Ami 12/10/08
      3.   We never had coexistence 09:31  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 12/10/08
      4.   jean van daem 1 09:58  |  potobac 12/10/08
      5.   A new Darfour 10:45  |  Palestinian 12/10/08
      6.   Stop the madness 11:56  |  Fahmi Natour 12/10/08
      7.   How silly it all looks... 12:06  |  Luther 12/10/08
      8.   They swore allegiance to a state that is rejecting them 12:08  |  Kris Lazar 12/10/08
      9.   To Jean Van Daem 12:10  |  Fahmi Natour 12/10/08
      10.   Jean Van Daem #1 12:17  |  Michael 12/10/08
      11.   I would offer a solution to this tribal warfare 12:23  |  Erastus CoupeDeVille 12/10/08
      12.   To #5 12:31  |  Yuval 12/10/08
      13.   Van Daem: These Arabs are just as much Israelis as the Jews are 13:45  |  Alicia 12/10/08
      14.   5 13:59  |  Taly 12/10/08
      15.   Some good might come from this 14:24  |  Mark Lincoln 12/10/08
      16.   "Arguing" 14:29  |  Anthony 12/10/08
      17.   The achievement of the PLO and terrorism. 15:47  |  Jean Van Daem 12/10/08
      18.   #5 idiot 16:38  |  larry from delaware 12/10/08
      19.   So called palestinian 16:45  |  Pamela 12/10/08
      20.   Kris of public uprising 17:02  |  Pamela 12/10/08
      21.   Tensions underscore urgent need for PEACE WITH PALESTINIANS 17:08  |  Ivar 12/10/08
      22.   #17 Van Daem: let the Israeli-Arabs decide 17:10  |  Alicia 12/10/08
      23.   Michael 10 17:11  |  Pamela 12/10/08
      24.   #15 Lincoln: this riot is NOT about "religious right" 17:15  |  Alicia 12/10/08
      25.   Who perfected stone throwing? 17:17  |  Great White North 12/10/08
      26.   Jews oppressed in their own land 17:20  |  Great White North 12/10/08
      27.   Extremist on both sides are the problem 17:27  |  Jane 12/10/08
      28.   9: Fahmi, I wish it were so 17:33  |  David Teich 12/10/08
      29.   Driver:"I would sacrifice myself" 17:34  |  Arie 12/10/08
      30.   alicia 17:56  |  babs 12/10/08
      31.   Acre Riots 17:56  |  David 12/10/08
      32.   #17 Jean Van daem 17:57  |  gearoid 12/10/08
      33.   throughout the world jews plead for acceptance but riot over 1car 18:00  |  topanga 12/10/08
      34.   Luther 18:04  |  lady from USA 12/10/08
      35.   Kris Lazar 18:05  |  lady from USA 12/10/08
      36.   Jean Van Daem 18:10  |  lady from USA 12/10/08
      37.   Jean Van Daem nonsense 18:35  |  David 12/10/08
      38.   Pamela, your racism does not help... 18:36  |  BBSNews 12/10/08
      39.   Shame on extremists on both sides.Stop hatred now! When will all 18:40  |  Sam 12/10/08
      40.   To e. m. Jordan is Palse # 3 - Coexistence.... 18:42  |  Dagma 12/10/08
      41.   Triplets of Ugly-Ville: Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran 18:58  |  Suha 12/10/08
      42.   BET THAT HE DOESN`T SACRIFICE HIMSELF 19:09  |  Ian 12/10/08
      43.   Palestinian (#5) Really Darfour 19:21  |  Gil 12/10/08
      44.   A New Darfur?? 19:24  |  Karliner 12/10/08
      45.   #41 Suha 19:34  |  Bruce 12/10/08
      46.   The police will restore calm and then .... 19:37  |  Ilan 12/10/08
      47.   #38 BBCNews, "Arab peace intiative" 19:42  |  Bruce 12/10/08
      48.   Remember ....... 20:05  |  Deby 12/10/08
      49.   To Sam (#39): Exactly so. 20:47  |  Morris Valentine 12/10/08
      50.   To Alicia # 13 - Can`t Disagree with you More..... 20:51  |  Dagma 12/10/08
      51.   Jamal, the driver of the auto which 20:54  |  Robert Haymond 12/10/08
      52.   No. 18 is the real idiot 21:18  |  Mitch Katz 12/10/08
      53.   To Believe in Arab Tales...... 21:18  |  Dolly 12/10/08
      54.   #38, BBS News. Hamas charter says "kill Jews" 22:04  |  David 12/10/08
      55.   zero tolerance for rioters and for inciters 22:12  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/10/08
      56.   Thanks, Jean Van Daem 22:13  |  Binyamin 12/10/08
      57.   Innocence and projections... 22:14  |  Fritz T. 12/10/08
      58.   What Bi-national City? We Are All Israelis!!! 22:21  |  Baruch Gold 12/10/08
      59.   Idea: Round Up All Stones in Israel 22:24  |  Baruch Gold 12/10/08
      60.   Why Muslims Should Not Drink 22:30  |  Baruch Gold 12/10/08
      61.   Acre riots, visions of the future 22:36  |  alan 12/10/08
      62.   #50 Dagma, the "wise Jewess" running Israel from America 22:56  |  Alicia 12/10/08
      63.   rays of hope 00:05  |  just me 13/10/08
      64.   How many of you missed the point 00:29  |  Great White North 13/10/08
      65.   Mitch Katz 52 - no you are the real idiot 00:32  |  ChanahS 13/10/08
      66.   when driver said coexistence he meant with Hamas 00:34  |  Avi 13/10/08
      67.   Make him mayor! 00:53  |  Jeff 13/10/08
      68.   David, I hate to break it to you... 01:09