Arab Students Attacked in Safed
Attack reflects rising tension over the growth in the Safed's Arab population, mostly students.
Some 20 youngsters from Safed attacked several Arab students who live in an apartment in the town's center last weekend. Nobody was hurt. The police arrested three suspects in the assault, including one border policeman.
The attack is seen as a reflection of the rising tension over the growth in the Arab population in Safed, mostly students at Safed College who are residing in the city.
About two weeks ago, the town's chief rabbi, Shmuel Eliyahu, and other prominent rabbis called not to rent or sell apartments to non-Jews.
The rabbis also held what they called an "emergency gathering" whose speakers said the college was enabling the influx because most of its students are Arabs.
Eliyahu called to keep Arab students out of Safed College some eight years ago, after a suicide attack on a bus at Meron junction, after an Arab student had reportedly been warned of the attack by one of the terrorists.
Eliyahu was indicted for incitement to racism for this and other statements he had made at that time. But the indictment was revoked about four years ago, following an agreement in which he promised to publish a clarification of his statements. (Eli Ashkenazi )
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