Arab Israeli teens in Nazareth smashed store windows and threw stones at a police station on Monday, amidst a series of events planned by Arabs to commemorate one year since violent clashes last October in which Israeli soldiers and police killed 13 members of their community.
Observers of the clashes last year, including Israeli commentators, noted that while Jewish protests at the time were met with non-lethal force, the police quickly turned to lethal means to subdue Arab Israeli demonstrators.
Israeli police responded to the violence by the teens by firing tear gas, reported the Tel Aviv-based Haaretz newspaper.
As part of the commemoration activities, the High Committee for Arab Affairs in Israel has declared a general strike which is being observed at various levels in Israel, the paper said.
MK Adbulmalik Dehamshe (United Arab List) told Israel Radio on Monday morning that the question of whether the demonstrations would take place without serious incidents depended solely on the actions of Israeli police.
"There is no reason for any one (of the demonstrators) to disturb the public order or cause harm, but the moment the police enter the crowd - everything will change," he said.
Israel’s northern police commander, Ya'kov Borovsky, said police were prepared for any possible development.
"The demonstration is a legitimate right," he said. "The processions will be held and the police will be where they need to be. Police will be present, but won't be in places of friction in advance and will be deployed in such a manner they can act if needed."
The events, said the paper, began last Friday afternoon with a procession organized by the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Nazareth.
The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) held a joint Jewish-Arab demonstration in Haifa on Saturday and several local events were planned for Sunday, said the paper.
The High Committee for Arab Affairs in Israel, which is organizing many of the events, has called on the Arab population to observe a minute's silence for the 13 who were killed in the clashes, for the removal of veils covering memorial statues in various Arab settlements, and for a procession to cemeteries where the victims of the clashes were buried.
Meanwhile, Israeli Public Security Minister Uzi Landau said Friday that he had ordered police not to interfere in any demonstrations or protests within the Arab community, as long as the protests were legal and did not "disrupt civic order."
The Arab Israelis - effectively Palestinians who stayed in Israel when the Jewish state was created in 1948 - make up around one million people, or 18.6 percent of the population of 6.4 million – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
