Police officers who were present at an Arab riot near the Jewish town of Tzippori on Thursday reported that rioters called to hurt Jews and expressed support for Hizbullah.  Hundreds of Israeli Arab young men rioted and attacked police officers on Thursday afternoon following a rally mourning the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

MK Yisrael Hasson (Yisrael Beiteinu) was present at a counter-protest organized by the New Israeli Guardsmen (HaShomer HaHadash) and witnessed the riots. If the New Israeli Guardsmen had not been present, he said, “Residents of Tzippori would have woken up tomorrow with Palestinian flags flying in their town, and the 60th Independence Day would have become the first day of the third Intifada.”