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Israeli Arabs dancing the largest and longest 'Debka' routine in world history in Acre on Sunday. (Yaron Kaminsky)
Last update - 00:00 23/07/2007
Israeli Arabs smash world record for largest 'Debke' folk dance
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

Israeli Arabs from across Israel danced their way hand in hand into the Guiness Book of World Records on Sunday after they held the largest and longest group performance of the "Debke" dance inside the walls of the Old City of Acre.

A record 2,743 people danced for seven minutes straight holding hands in a human chain that stretched down Hagana Street in Acre's famed Old City, smashing the previous record of 1,700 set in Toronto a few years ago.

The Debke is a six-step dance that is performed while holding hands in a line. For years it has been a mainstay of weddings and communal celebrations in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and even Turkey and Iraq.
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The record-setting event, broadcast live for two hours on the cultural events channel of the Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera, was the first time in history that any Israeli Arab has entered the Guinness Book.

Participants came from over 30 Debke clubs located all over Israel, with shuttle busses bringing them from as far as Rahat in the Negev and villages on the Lebanon border.

Asad Zarik, 73, came from his village of Ilabun, a "Debke powerhouse" in his words, where he said students come from all over the Galilee to study the dance. Zarik said that today the dance has become almost exclusively an elderly pastime, as most youths prefer to dance more modern steps.

Yihye Abu Juma'ah of Dir-al Assad, a coach for 12 Debke troupes, was in charge of organizing Sunday's record-breaking dance routine. He stated that the dance is over 500 years old and that to his knowledge there are no Jewish dancing troupes in Israel that perform the Debke, only distant variations on the Arab folk dance.

In keeping with Guinness regulations, two civilians were appointed to judge the competition, including popular Israel Radio Arabic-language host Iman al-Kassem Suleiman, who said there was no way he could miss the event, and that the dance is "an indelible part of the Arab culture, and if we can make the Guinness Book of World Records, it is proof that we are not only part of Israel, we are part of the world."

MK Abbas Zakur (United Arab List), a resident of Acre, also helped judge the event
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  1.   Israeli arabs dance: while Palestians frown 10:12  |  Hannah 23/07/07
  2.   Hannah, and how much better to be a Jew 10:39  |  Meir Gush Etzion 23/07/07
  3.   Maureen Ann 11:54  |  Hannah 23/07/07
  4.   Boooring comments 12:05  |  Maimon 23/07/07
  5.   " Debke" folk dance 12:09  |  Iranian-Swedish 23/07/07
  6.   Maureen Ann from Australia tells us, Jews, who we are in terms of 12:38  |  Menashe Amir 23/07/07
  7.   ONE STATE SOLUTION WOULD WORK 12:38  |  indrajaya 23/07/07
  8.   This is lovely,now only if the fenced in Palestinians could have 12:48  |  lakshmi 23/07/07
  9.   To Hannah@1 12:52  |  Akkawi 23/07/07
  10.   The only logical solution that could ever take place 12:56  |  Philistine 23/07/07
  11.   Akkawi 13:05  |  Hannah 23/07/07
  12.   Hamas must take Debke lessons instead arms.. 13:16  |  Vital 23/07/07
  13.   Israeli-Arab? You mean Palestinians 13:18  |  Shlomo 23/07/07
  14.   Why the distinction. Are they not just Israelis. 13:23  |  Labhras 23/07/07
  15.   Maureen Ann 13:24  |  Gabe 23/07/07
  16.   Akkawi 13:28  |  Gabe 23/07/07
  17.   Shlomo 13:30  |  Gabe 23/07/07
  18.   Menashe Amir@6 13:35  |  ArbaNeighbor 23/07/07
  19.   To Gabe of Haifa 13:47  |  Akkawi 23/07/07
  20.   Way to Go, congratulations 13:48  |  Withheld 23/07/07
  21.   9 / Akkawi: 13:51  |  Philistine 23/07/07
  22.   indonesian muslim 13:57  |  larry from maine 23/07/07
  23.   To Philistine 14:01  |  Akkawi 23/07/07
  24.   16 / Gabe & Akkawi: The aparthide is the keyword 14:04  |  Philistine 23/07/07
  25.   17/Gabe 14:21  |  Philistine 23/07/07
  26.   co-existence ? 14:26  |  ka 23/07/07
  27.   Arab Neighbor, the older generation knows Arabic, so is the older 14:27  |  Menashe Amir 23/07/07
  28.   #3 Indra Jaia: One state stolution 14:57  |  Deoir 23/07/07
  29.   To Menashe Amir 15:06  |  Arab Neighbor 23/07/07
  30.   Question 15:10  |  D.R. Zukerman 23/07/07
  31.   Cogratulation.... a welcomed change from 15:17  |  Rami 23/07/07
  32.   #13: ask me and yes we ARE Israeli-Arabs 15:18  |  Rami 23/07/07
  33.   Menashe Amir, I`ve never seen Israeli PM from Arab back ground 15:18  |  Tamir Palestine 23/07/07
  34.   #27 Menashe Amir and arab neighbour 15:41  |  Itsik 23/07/07
  35.   well done 15:47  |  Nidal 23/07/07
  36.   #25 Phillistine 15:49  |  Itsik 23/07/07
  37.   Debke Dance in Ako 16:14  |  Abu Yusuf 23/07/07
  38.   # 33. Tamir Palestine, we have never had a prime minister from 16:23  |  Menashe Amir 23/07/07
  39.   Ako, Debke 16:40  |  Eli 23/07/07
  40.   Rami #31 "Wide World of Sports" 17:09  |  FOX 23/07/07
  41.   # 29. Arab Neighbor, Sami Michael is first and foremost a Jew, 17:18  |  Menashe Amir 23/07/07
  42.   I think this was wonderful! 17:45  |  Nechama 23/07/07
  43.   to Fox..bullets 18:04  |  Nidal 23/07/07
  44.   if only .... 18:14  |  maria 23/07/07
  45.   shlomo...they preferred to be.... 18:20  |  maria 23/07/07
  46.   Indrajaya -One state solution will definitely work 19:07  |  David Isarel 23/07/07
  47.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT! #1, #3, #11 19:48  |  Hannah 23/07/07
  48.   Haanah, #47 change your name 20:34  |  FOX 23/07/07
  49.   Gaza boy Tamir 20:36  |  Hannah 23/07/07
  50.   Educating Nidal re #43 20:43  |  FOX 23/07/07
  51.   that dance was beautiful , israel tried to wipe their culture 20:58  |  Nina 23/07/07
  52.   Talkback Revisted 21:12  |  FOX 23/07/07
  53.   The Israeli Palestinians are Heroes 22:00  |  Ibrahim 23/07/07
  54.   Nina: lies and misapprehensions 22:01  |  Hannah 23/07/07
  55.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT #47 22:20  |  Hannah 23/07/07
  56.   Ibrahim - Of course they will never leave 22:38  |  David Israel 23/07/07
  57.   Haaretz censor fest 2007 23:17  |  Jake 23/07/07
  58.   # 7 Yep, dear Inda under one condition.... 23:27  |  Misha 23/07/07
  59.   Ibrahim 23:31  |  Naim 23/07/07
  60.   # 14 the correct ID is fifth column.... 23:34  |  Misha 23/07/07
  61.   Hannah....seething in hatred.... 23:42  |  Ibrahim 23/07/07
  62.   For Menashe Amir # 38 it seems that you suffer being an Iraqi Jew 23:51  |  Clickright 23/07/07
  63.   Ibrahim 23:56  |  Alain 23/07/07
  64.   Nidal in Ramallah 00:09  |  Alain 24/07/07
  65.   IBRAHIM.They call themselves Arabs as does the Pal. covenant 00:25  |  PETER SM 24/07/07
  66.   IBRAHIM dancing in some lunatic Islamist country is heroic. 00:44  |  PETER SM 24/07/07
  67.   FOX 01:41  |  James 24/07/07
  68.   Arab culture and dancing 02:00  |  Slibovitz 24/07/07
  69.   ibrahim, so you think the Israeli Hannah is abusive? 03:07  |  bev 24/07/07
  70.   To Hannah, what about you? 03:50  |  Tamir Palestine 24/07/07
  71.   Nina -- If "Israel" did all those things, then why... 04:37  |  bbl 24/07/07
  72.   Congratulations To Israeli Arabs 05:49  |  Yosemite 24/07/07
  73.   Clickright, i.e. Clickwrong 06:48  |  Jake 24/07/07
  74.   Oh by the way, Clickright, I would love to know more Arabic 06:56  |  Jake 24/07/07
  75.   great.. 07:37  |  ravi 24/07/07
  76.   Phantom poster 08:16  |  Colin Wright 24/07/07
  77.   re #74 Peacelover Jake 08:19  |  Colin Wright 24/07/07
  78.   Ibrahim 08:19  |  Hannah 24/07/07
  79.   Another Arab Neighbor 08:31  |  An Arab Neighbor 24/07/07
  80.   Tamir Palestine which is in London 08:57  |  Hannah 24/07/07
  81.   world record 16:34  |  Tom 24/07/07
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