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Israeli city 'calm' after riots Israeli city hit by fresh clashes
(about 10 hours later)
Israeli police have been deployed in force in the northern city of Acre following two days of rioting involving Jews and Israeli Arabs. Israeli police have clashed with Jewish protesters in the northern city of Acre on the third day of violence involving Jews and Israeli-Arabs.
The authorities say the deployment is an attempt to prevent further unrest. Police fired water cannon at a crowd of at least 200 people to prevent them from entering an Arab neighbourhood.
The trouble broke out late on Wednesday after an Israeli Arab man was assaulted when he drove his car during the Yom Kippur religious holiday. It came as the prime minister-designate visited the city to appeal for calm.
A tense calm has returned to the city, and a clean-up is under way of the extensive damage to shops and cars. The trouble broke out late on Wednesday after an Israeli-Arab man was assaulted for driving his car during Yom Kippur - the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Most of Israel comes to a standstill on Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement - the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Most of Israel comes to a standstill on Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement - for a sombre day of fasting, during which it is considered offensive to drive in much of Israel.
It is a sombre day of fasting, during which it is considered offensive to drive in much of Israel. The Arab man, Tawfik Jamal, was reportedly attacked by youths who said he was making noise intentionally.
The Arab man was reportedly attacked by youths who said he was making noise intentionally. Mr Jamal is reported to have said he was simply driving to a property he owned in the eastern part of the city.
The Arab man is reported to have said he was simply driving to a property he owned in the eastern part of the city.
High alertHigh alert
Some 500 extra police officers have been brought in to assist the 200-strong local force, and maintain peace in the city. Friday's violence occurred just hours after Tzipi Livni, who is trying to form a new government after the resignation of Ehud Olmert, urged people from both communities not to let anger turn into the violence. Jews and Arabs must stop immediately this violence which will not benefit anyone Shimon PeresIsraeli president class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7664670.stm">Riots shock mixed Israeli city
Hundreds of people took to the streets (Image: www.panet.co.il)"We have also raised our level of alert throughout the country so that similar incidents do not occur again in Acre, or elsewhere," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld was quoted by AFP news agency as saying. "The only message to be relayed today - and this is for the national leadership, the local leadership, everyone - from now on, we take ourselves in hand, embrace each other, together," she said.
The unrest erupted around midnight local time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday. Earlier, Israeli President Shimon Peres appealed for calm saying the violence would "not benefit anyone".
Police said that the "large-scale" Jewish-Arab rioting was the worst that the city had seen in recent years. Security forces were already on high alert, and some 500 extra officers had been deployed in Acre to assist the 200-strong local police force.
About one third of Acre's population of almost 50,000 residents are Israeli Arabs, with the highest concentration in the Old City. Police said that the "large-scale" Jewish-Arab rioting, which erupted late on Wednesday, was the worst that the city had seen in recent years.
Israeli Arabs are people of Palestinian origin whose forbears remained in Israel after the foundation of the country in 1948. About one third of Acre's population of almost 50,000 residents are Israeli-Arabs, with the highest concentration in the Old City.
Israeli-Arabs are people of Palestinian origin whose forbears remained in Israel after the foundation of the country in 1948.
They number about one million - about one-fifth of the Israeli population - and although they have full rights as Israeli citizens, human rights groups say they face discrimination and exclusion.They number about one million - about one-fifth of the Israeli population - and although they have full rights as Israeli citizens, human rights groups say they face discrimination and exclusion.