After rejecting conciliatory gesture from city's Arab leaders, Lankry changes his mind following new clashes between Jewish Arab, residents. 'I'm happy the Arab leadership condemned this grave incident, which has never before taken place in this city,' he tells Ynet Ahiya Raved
Following a fourth consequent evening of violent riots in Akko, Mayor Shimon Lankry declared Saturday night that he accepts the condemnation announcement the northern city's Arab leadership plans to issue against the use of a vehicle by an Arab resident on Yom Kippur. Three people were lightly injured in Saturday's riots, and a Molotov cocktail was hurled at an Arab house in the city.
Order was restored in the late hours of the evening, but after midnight dozens of Jewish youngsters gathered across from dozens of Arabs on a crossroad in the northern part of the city, following a false rumor that a synagogue had been torched.
Border Guard and police forces separated between the parties, and no unusual incidents were recorded. Police remain on high alert in the city.
The Arab leadership plans to distribute a leaflet saying that it does not matter if Tawfiq Jamal's decision to drive that night was justified or not, but he should have made an effort to find an alternative way home.
"We are ready to lend a hand to any business owner in need of help in order to restore the situation," said Knesset Member Abas Zkoor (United Arab List-Ta'al), himself a resident of Akko.
At first, Mayor Lankry was dismissive of the condemnation announcement made by Akko's Arab leaders, saying "so what if they denounce the driver? We condemn all violence, of any kind and from any side. We condemn all those acting without respect to one another," he said.
But several hours later, after the riots were resumed, he changed his mind and said he was pleased with the announcement.
"I'm happy the Arab leadership is condemning the incident. It was a very grave occurrence that had never before taken place in this city, and so it indeed demanded their denouncement.
"Anyone who commits an act that offends the public should be subject to condemnation and even prosecution," the mayor said, explaining that he did not understand the condemnation at first and had therefore rejected it.
Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report
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