Two 22-year-old men and seven teenagers have been arrested for allegedly assaulting Arab residents of the city and setting fire to Arab-owned cars. The gang was apparently trying to drive Arabs from the city, police say.
Police believe the gang operated independently. Investigators assured the public that the gang was not part of a “Jewish underground,” and in fact had non-Jewish members. Most of the suspects are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, police revealed.
The suspects' remands were extended by between two and three days on Monday afternoon. Their identities have not been released for publication.
The attacks began in October of 2008, at approximately the same time that Jewish-Arab riots broke out in Akko. The riots led to disturbances throughout northern Israel, including in Lod and Haifa.
Whether or not the attacks were motivated by anti-Arab nationalism, they should be treated as severe, said Northern District Police Chief Shimon Koren. No violent attacks will be allowed, regardless of the motive, he said.
Nazareth Illit Mayor Shimon Gapso condemned the attacks and expressed hope that no harm had been done to Jewish-Arab ties in the city. Nazareth Illit is a model of coexistence and should be preserved as such, he added.