Fragile Coexistence in Northern Israel Disturbed by anti-Arab Vandals
“It’s not the financial damage. It’s the emotional harm. Everything else can be repaired,” said Karim Sa’ida, a resident of the Jezreel Valley Arab village of Manshiya Zabda in Israel’s north, which was targeted overnight on Wednesday by a wave of vandalism, which included anti-Arab graffiti. News of the incident prompted an outpouring of support from residents of nearby Jewish communities.
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– Haaretz Weekly Ep. 52
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About 100 vehicles in the village of several hundred residents were damaged, in addition to the graffiti spray-painted on walls. The repair bill on Sa’ida’s three trucks is 26,676 shekels (about $7,700), he said. Each of the trucks has six tires.
Sa’ida sells and rents event equipment for a living. His Jewish customers have been calling to console him. His phone hadn’t stopped ringing all morning, he said.
“The entire country wants to be in this valley,” he declared. “It’s the prettiest place in the country. We have never felt a difference between Arabs and Jews or between Christians and Moslems here. We always hear about such things elsewhere, and now, all of a sudden, it’s happening in our beautiful place.”
The police first reported that 20 vehicles had been damaged, but as time passed, it became clear that the true figure was around 100.
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– Perpetrators caught on camera slashing tires in Manshiya Zabda.