Violence in Israel
To those who think that I only write about the positive features of Israeli life, here are a few items that show some other aspects of the reality of life here.
Recently, in the wake of the widespread rioting that broke out in Acre (Akko), after an Arab drove his car with radio blaring into a Jewish neighborhood on Yom Kippr, the police were mobilized in large numbers. Even now, more than a week later there are reported to be over 1,000 police patrolling the streets to avoid any continuation of the violence. About 50 Arabs and 50 Jews were arrested and the search is continuing for persons who deliberately fomented the violence. However, significantly, noone was killed (not even the Arab driver) and the rioting did not spread to other cities in the country.
There were however two reported instances of rock throwing and of gasoline bottles being thrown at Arabs in the Tel Aviv area in the past few days. In both cases, the police immediately arrested the perpetrators, three Jewish youths in each case, and they are now in custody. Their targets were Arabs living in Jewish areas, and although one apartment was burnt down, it turned out to be that of a Jew. There were no casualties. In another incident people living in Holon heard loud explosions coming from an area of dunes. The police investigated and arrested two Jewish youth and a girl who were practising making pipe bombs. Searches of their homes produced further bomb-making equipment. (I remember when living in suburban Maryland that I used occasionally to hear loud explosions, and I was told by a colleague that where he lived further out into the country that during the summer months there were explosions of pipe bombs all the time.)
In other incidents, there have been a spate of hit and run road accidents that have left people dead or injured. The worst incident happened last weekend when a car was stopped among others exiting the Tel Aviv port, where there are many bars and dance halls. While the owner/driver of the car was being tested for alcohol, one of his friends took the keys and drove off at speed. Shortly after that he apparently ran a red light and hit two young women who were crossing the road, one of whom has since died. Later the two occupants of the car were found and arrested. Since then there have been no less than 5 hit and run incidents around the country, none of them connected. A four year old girl was injured by a car at a beach in north Tel Aviv, and two old people were injured while crossing the road at zebra crossings in central Israel.
A strange incident in central Israel yesterday, a young successful Police \Inspector, shot dead his beautiful blonde wife, also a deputy polcie inspector, and his two young children, and then committed suicide. There is no explanation so far for this tragic event.
Of course, all of this violence is regrettable, and at present it is much greater than the number of casualties due to terrorism; there also have been occasional firings of rockets into southern Israel, notwithstanding a supposed ceasefire agreement with Hamas. If anyone expects Hamas to compromise with Fatah over a unity government, they will be sorely disappointed, since Hamas is using the ceasefire to entrench itself further as the military authority in Gaza, while Fatah is clearing the West Bank of Hamas control.
Recently, in the wake of the widespread rioting that broke out in Acre (Akko), after an Arab drove his car with radio blaring into a Jewish neighborhood on Yom Kippr, the police were mobilized in large numbers. Even now, more than a week later there are reported to be over 1,000 police patrolling the streets to avoid any continuation of the violence. About 50 Arabs and 50 Jews were arrested and the search is continuing for persons who deliberately fomented the violence. However, significantly, noone was killed (not even the Arab driver) and the rioting did not spread to other cities in the country.
There were however two reported instances of rock throwing and of gasoline bottles being thrown at Arabs in the Tel Aviv area in the past few days. In both cases, the police immediately arrested the perpetrators, three Jewish youths in each case, and they are now in custody. Their targets were Arabs living in Jewish areas, and although one apartment was burnt down, it turned out to be that of a Jew. There were no casualties. In another incident people living in Holon heard loud explosions coming from an area of dunes. The police investigated and arrested two Jewish youth and a girl who were practising making pipe bombs. Searches of their homes produced further bomb-making equipment. (I remember when living in suburban Maryland that I used occasionally to hear loud explosions, and I was told by a colleague that where he lived further out into the country that during the summer months there were explosions of pipe bombs all the time.)
In other incidents, there have been a spate of hit and run road accidents that have left people dead or injured. The worst incident happened last weekend when a car was stopped among others exiting the Tel Aviv port, where there are many bars and dance halls. While the owner/driver of the car was being tested for alcohol, one of his friends took the keys and drove off at speed. Shortly after that he apparently ran a red light and hit two young women who were crossing the road, one of whom has since died. Later the two occupants of the car were found and arrested. Since then there have been no less than 5 hit and run incidents around the country, none of them connected. A four year old girl was injured by a car at a beach in north Tel Aviv, and two old people were injured while crossing the road at zebra crossings in central Israel.
A strange incident in central Israel yesterday, a young successful Police \Inspector, shot dead his beautiful blonde wife, also a deputy polcie inspector, and his two young children, and then committed suicide. There is no explanation so far for this tragic event.
Of course, all of this violence is regrettable, and at present it is much greater than the number of casualties due to terrorism; there also have been occasional firings of rockets into southern Israel, notwithstanding a supposed ceasefire agreement with Hamas. If anyone expects Hamas to compromise with Fatah over a unity government, they will be sorely disappointed, since Hamas is using the ceasefire to entrench itself further as the military authority in Gaza, while Fatah is clearing the West Bank of Hamas control.
posted by Jack Cohen at 5:49 PM
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