Demonstration against racism will be held in Tel-Aviv on next Wednesday, March 13, at 6 p.m. The demonstration was organized following attacks on an Arab worker in Tel-Aviv and two Arab women in Jerusalem.

A 16-year-old Jewish youth was arrested Wednesday on suspicion that he threw rocks at a car belonging to an Arab woman in Jerusalem’s Kiryat Moshe neighborhood. The woman emerged from the incident uninjured, but damage was caused to the vehicle. “They just set upon us, some spat, some threw rocks,” the woman, who was visiting a bereaved Jewish friend, told Channel 2 News.

Demonstrators hold signs and call slogans against racism and police discrimination on racial basis, Jaffa, March 2, 2013. The demonstration was organized following a brutal attack on an Arab worker from Jaffa. (Photo: Activestills)

The assailants also shouted epithets at a Jewish friend who accompanied her, telling her she was “a bitch for going with an Arab,” she said. Last week, a Palestinian woman was attacked during Purim celebrations at a station of the Jerusalem light rail. Police alleged that an Israeli teenager spat on her, attacked her and ripped off her headscarf.  The altercation was photographed by a bystander and the photos were publicized in Israeli media. Three suspects were detained in connection with the incident.

Arabs and Jews demonstrated in Jaffa on last Saturday hold signs and call slogans against racism and discrimination. The demonstration was organized following a brutal attack on an Arab worker from the city. Among the 200 demonstrators: Tel-Aviv Jaffa councilman Yoav Goldring and 3 more members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. A 40-year-old Jaffa resident was attacked in Tel Aviv by Jewish youths and sustained serious wounds to his head. The attack, which occurred on Herbert Samuel Street on the city’s seaside promenade, around 4:00 A.M. after the victim, Hassan Usruf, 40, had gone out to work. Usruf operates a street-cleaning vehicle for contractor cleaning company.

MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) called on the Minister of Education to declare the coming year as the year of the fight against racism. Referring to the racist attack on an Arab worker, Khenin said, “The ongoing crimes related to hate and racism need to be dealt with. I call on the police to give priority to investigating hate crimes and to bring perpetrators to justice. I call on the Minister of Education to declare the coming year as the year of the fight against racism in the education system and make the struggle against racism the main topic of the year. We, the members of the Knesset, also have a great responsibility to promote comprehensive legislation against racism. In this spirit I have submitted a bill dealing with the fight against racism in all its forms.”

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MK Khenin called to declare the year of the fight against racism

Jaffa Arabs and Jews demonstrated against racism and discrimination