Jewish Extremists' Assault on Palestinians in Akka Triggers Intifada-Like Riots

Hamas: assaults on Palestinians in Akka one of the fruits of Annapolis

[ 10/10/2008 - 04:54 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas said, on Friday, that the escalation of assaults by Zionist  occupiers against the Palestinian residents of the city of Akka (Acre), in northern occupied Palestine, is one of the fruits of the Annapolis conference which stressed the concept of occupied Palestine being the homeland for the Jews.

Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said, in a statement to PIC, that the escalation of attacks against Palestinians in 1948-occupied Palestine, the last of which were the attacks taking place over the past two days in Akka,  is a clear indication of the increase in the levels of Zionist racism against Palestinians.

He added that his movement considers these attacks as a fruit of the Annapolis conference, which was held last November and tried to consolidate the concept of  1948-occupied Palestine being the homeland for the Jews, encouraging more racism against 1948-Palestinians who already suffer from being treated as second class citizens.

Abu Zuhri said that instead of the said conference producing a Palestinian state which the conference was marketed as aiming for, it has produces assaults against Palestinians with the aim of uprooting the remaining Palestinians in 1948-occupied Palestine.

Islamic Jihad: Acre riots beginning stage of 'a third intefadeh'

Date: 10 / 10 / 2008  Time:  22:16
Gaza - Ma’an -

Islamic Jihad called for demonstrations in support of Palestinians living in Acre who were attacked by Israeli citizens on Thursday and Friday, a spokesperson said.

Waleed Hilis said in a press statement that “what is happening is an indication of a third intefadeh'—led by Palestinians living in Israel."

He said “the attacks carried out by Israeli extremists over the past two days confirm” the need to respond in solidarity with Palestinians living inside Israel. He also called the attacks “barbaric and discriminatory.”

Hilis urged Palestinians to confront “these acts and to cling to their homes and land.” He said that the past 48 hours’ events demonstrate “the Israeli plan to expel the Palestinians from their homes, just like in 1948.”

Israeli extremists attacked Palestinians in Acre on Thursday and Friday, which led to violence by Arabs and Jews across the city. At least 15 Palestinians were injured in the riots while houses and cars were set ablaze by mobs of Israeli Jews.

The clashes began in the Israeli town just after midnight on Thursday, when Jewish youths beat a Palestinian resident. New clashes sparked up around the city on Friday afternoon as leaders called for calm.

Young Israelis reportedly assaulted the Palestinian man after he drove into a predominantly Jewish section of the city. Following the assault, other Palestinian youths arrived at the scene, touching off additional riots involving both Arabs and Jews.

The man was reportedly driving home moments before the attack that led two members of the Israeli Knesset to lash out at police on Thursday.

Member of Knesset (MK) Ahmad Tibi accused police of "hapless discrimination" for failing to protect Arab residents of Acre on Thursday. According to Hebrew newspaper Yediot Ahronot, Tibi also called the riot "a pogrom perpetrated by Jewish thugs against Arabs."

Dozens of cars and shops were damaged in the chaos, during which hundreds of protesters shouted "death to Arabs" and other derogatory slogans in mass rallies.

MK Muhammad Barakeh compared the events to the treatment of Jews during World War II, Ha'aretz reported. Barakeh told reporters that the riots on Thursday were similar to what "they were exposed to at the hands of the Nazi gangs in Germany."

Police arrested a number of suspected rioters and said they plan to detain more. Acre's police chief cited the involvement of "Jewish and Arab gangs" in the riots that started in the eastern part of the city.

Shops vandalized, cars flipped over as riots spread through Akka

Date: 10 / 10 / 2008  Time:  12:56
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

On the Jewish high holiday, Israelis broke into Al-Aqsa mosque, rioted in Akka (Acre) streets, and beat one Palestinian.

Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement, it is the day when devout Jews observe 25 hours of fasting, during which time no machines are operated or “work” done.

Shortly before sunset on 8 October this year, radio stations went off the air, television channels across Israel ceased to transmit programs, and the countries highways were all but deserted.

Before the sun rose on 9 October, a group of about 100 Israeli extremists broke into the Haram Ash-Sharif compound surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and, according to the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Islamic Waqf and Heritage, "carried out several failed attempts to break into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound."

On the Day of Atonement, the moment in which one’s fate for the year ahead is sealed in the divine books, groups at the Al-Aqsa mosque shouted "death to Arabs," and riots broke out in Acre.

Jewish youth, observing the Day of Atonement by fasting and refraining from “work,” beat a Palestinian resident of Acre just after midnight on 9 October.

“It is unthinkable that Jews in the Jewish State will be harassed on the holiest of days to the Jewish people,” the Israeli press quoted National Religious Party Chairman Zevulun Orlev as saying.

The harassment was the act of driving a car through a religious neighborhood, seen as an act of provocation to Jews who observe the fast.

After the Palestinian man was beaten, dozens of Palestinian and Israeli residents of the city gathered in what turned into a mass riot. While observent Jews were meant to be repenting for deeds done, and asking forgiveness from one’s fellows, shops were vandalized and cars flipped over.

Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset (MK) Ahmad At-Tibi called the riot “barbaric,” and accused police of not doing enough to quash the violence.

Several Palestinian leaders likened the event to riots against the Jewish populations of Europe during World War II after MK Yuval Steinitz for Likud called the incident an Arab Pogrom against Israelis. “The state of Israel has become the only country in the Western world where pogroms are carried out against Jews,” he said.

Jerusalem police have been put on high alert after Israeli Major General Aaron Franko called a meeting on the issue of the riots. Police have been deployed to Arab areas in Jerusalem to “prevent any problems by troublemakers.”

It is unclear whether the statement from Franko refers to Palestinian or Israeli “troublemakers,” though it assured that they would be arrested and sent to court.

The Israeli media reported Friday afternoon that an emergency meeting of the Internal Affairs committee will be held Sunday to address the riots in Acre.

Fresh violence broke out in the city Friday afternoon as Jewish youth gathered outside the home of an Arab family on Ehad Ha'am street. According to the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, the family members were sitting in front of the home wearing face masks.

According to Israeli police the fight between sides was dispersed, and tense calm reigns in Acre.

***Updated 18:01 Bethlehem time

---

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.