Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 01:28:27 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: Pogrom in Nazareth by Right-wing mobs - police helping the pogromists



Pogrom in Nazareth by Right-wing mobs - police helping
the pogromists - one inhabitant killed 

From: "Gush Shalom" <otherisr-AT-actcom.co.il>

GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

Press Release

Gush Shalom (The Israeli Peace Bloc) received the following information
from our Arab contacts, inhabitants of Nazareth: At about 7.00 PM today, a
mob numbering at 1, 000 left the Jewish town Upper Nazareth and descended
upon the neighboring Arab town of Nazareth, some holding clubs and other
having firearms. They broke into the Eastern Neighborhood of Nazareth and
started hitting and shooting indiscriminately at its inhabitants. The
police stood aside and did not interfere, but when inhabitants of Nazareth
rallied to defend themselves, the police attacked them - first with tear
gas and later with live ammunition. There are many wounded, and at least
one Arab inhabitant was killed.  At the time of writing, the police is
still shooting at inhabitants of Nazareth.

Today's attack followed an attack yesterday upon the Arabs who live in
Upper Nazareth itself, which included an attack upon the home of Knesset
Member Azmi Bishara. Then, too, the police stood aside.

What is happening in Nazareth today is a pogrom, bearing all the hallmarks
which were well known to Jews in Czarist Russia - primarily te collusion
between the racist attackers and the police. This is a day of shame for
the state of Israel - and it is a warning sign for the disaster in store,
if the country does not rid itself of the racist scourage. Gush Shalom
calls for the immediate sacking of Alik Ron, the openly racist commander
of the Northern Sector Police, under whose aegis this crime had taken
place. Gush Shalom also warns Prime Minister Barak to drop the mad idea of
inviting arch- provocateur Ariel Sharon into his government. The mere
rumor of Sharon's imminent entry into the government has already aroused
extremist groups to violence all over the country; his actual presence at
the helm will be disaster which the country may not survive.

Nazareth seems not an isolated case. Reports of the same kind are coming
from different places, both from the occupied territories where armed
settlers are reported to be simultaneously attacking many Palestinian
villages and towns as well as the Arab neigborhoods in East Jerusalem. The
simultaneity and the exact similarity in tactics suggests preplanning and
coordination.

Further details: Adam Keller, Gush Shalom Spokesperson 972-(0)3-5565804
First hand information from Nazareth: Dr. Nabila Espanyoli
972-(0)50-581709 or Samira Khouri 972-(0)6-6570650

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