Attacks against Arab community (by Latuff)

Following the bomb placed in the car of an Arab resident of Halisa - the fifth such case in the recent period.

RACISM AND VIOLENCE HIT THE ARAB COMMUNITY IN HAIFA AGAIN

On Friday, January 16, Issa Ghanaim, who lives near the mosque in Halisa, went out to his work in the early morning hour. When he started driving he heard a strange noise from the bottom of the car and discovered a bomb which was attached to the car. When he detached the bomb and threw it on the roadside the bomb exploded without causing harm.

This event joins a series of previous ones in which arabs of Haifa were victims of racist attacks. On Friday, day of prayer, 28 June 2002 a bomb was placed at the door of the mosque in Halisa, and a woman was injured. Similar bombs were placed near the houses of two other Halisa residents. Recently a bomb exploded in the car of Knesset Member Issam Makhul. In all these cases we have heard of no results from the police investigations.

The reccurence of these cases leads to the conclusion that a racist terrorist group is acting with the purpose of killing Arabs in Haifa. Instead of rapid action to end these attacks we see that cases are closed and "insane elements" are treated with tolerance and understanding. Unfortunately this treatment leads the attackers to continue their activities.

Let us unify in face of the common threat - the racist terror can hurt any one of us!

We shall not allow the institutions responsible, and the police in particular, to continue to escape their responsibility.

We call on the Arab and Jewish public in Haifa to preserve the tradition of living together which is the pride of all residents of Haifa, and to join the condemnation and joint action to end the racist agression against the Arab residents.

(Communist party, Abnaa elBalad movement, Balad party, the Islamic movement, Ta'ayush)

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