Abu Snan Residents Demand Arrests Over Grenade Incident

A small group of residents of Abu Snan, an Arab local council in the Galilee, gathered outside the Acre Israel Police station on Monday night to protest the lack arrests in a hand grenade incident two weeks ago.

• 41 Injured in Druze-Muslim Brawl
• In Israeli Arab Society, No Room for Hope
• Muslim Students Stay Home in Abu Snan

Forty-three people were injured in the incident, which occurred during a clash between Druze and Muslim residents. The people arrested during the clash were all charged with disturbing the peace, not with throwing the grenade.

Attorney Nasrah A-Din said that he is certain that the police have the ability to arrest the suspect who threw the grenade. “If they don’t make an arrest, it’s a problem, a dangerous precedent,” he said, adding “if it had been thrown by a terrorist, there would be arrests already.”

Chief Superintendent Kobi Carni, commander of the Acre police station, told the protesters that 20 arrests have been made from both sides. When asked how many had since been released, he replied, “the courts decide who gets released, but we arrested 20.”

After Carni left the scene, the protestors expressed regret that Druze Abu Snan residents did not attend the demonstration.

“The head of the regional council should have been here, but he and the other residents didn’t come,” said Haani Yikhye, a muezzin at the Abu Snan mosque. “Where are the teachers from the school?” nother protestor sought to calm things down, saying “we’re for peace and reconciliation, and we want life to go back to normal, like before.”