News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Next week's Akko Festival of alternative theater is in doubt following the disturbances that broke out between Arabs and Jews in the northern port city during the Yom Kippur holiday. Festival general manager Albert Ben-Shalosh told the Hebrew daily Yediot Acharanot that rehearsals were supposed to start on Friday but he's waiting for instructions from the Israel police and Mayor Shimon Lankri

The festival is scheduled to start on Wednesday. On the bill are 65 presentations and events, including 10 shows, competitions, street theater performances and other outdoor events, as well as guest artists from Israel and abroad. Ben Shalosh said, "The artists have arrived and stages have been put up." He addef that he heard shots and explosions after coming out of his synagogue and saw Arabs rioting near Akko's train station.