Mayor Avraham Aloni and other local leaders of Kiryat Shemona are making intense personal efforts to effect a re-conciliation between the residents of that bereaved Upper Galilee town and the nearby Druze community. Relations, normally friendly, deteriorated after the April 11 terrorist massacre of 18 people in Kiryat Shemona. Grief stricken residents accused the Druze of collaboration with the terrorists and attacked the family of a Druze soldier who was badly wounded by the terrorists.
About 1000 Druze workers, normally employed in the town, were barred from it for their personal safety. Aloni visited Druze dignitaries at M’rar village Friday night to assure them that the incidents did not represent the general attitude in Kiryat Shemona toward the Druze minority. He promised the Druze leaders that he would do all he could to speed the safe return of all Druze employes to their jobs. Aloni will also visit Druze communities on the Golan Heights. The Druze, a non-Arab Moslem sect, for the most part are loyal to Israel and serve in the Israeli armed forces and police.
Knesset Speaker Yisrael Yeshayahu and a parliamentary delegation visited Kiryat Shemona today to study the rehabilitation problems facing the town. He said the purpose of the visit was to see to it that the promises made by various public institutions after the April 11 tragedy will be kept. He said the Knesset intended to supervise development work in the town and would send an official there every two weeks to report on progress.
HARASSMENT SERVES ISRAEL’S ENEMIES
Yeshayahu denied that today’s visit was a direct response to an angry demonstration by several hundred Kiryat Shemona residents outside the Knesset building last Thursday who demanded better protection for the town. He said that “despite the bitter feelings, that demonstration was inexcusable.” Yeshayahu was accompanied to Kiryat Shemona by MKs Shmuel Tamir and Ben Zion Keshet of Likud.
Addressing today’s Cabinet session which dealt with increased terrorist activities and the Syrian front situation. Premier Golda Meir expressed concern regarding “irresponsible acts” toward Druze and innocent Arabs. Referring to the harassment of these citizens during the heat of excitement over the Kiryat Shemona massacre, she stated that such incidents only served Israel’s enemies who seek to disrupt and damage the good relations among Israeli citizens. “Israel is proud of these relations,” she declared, “and will do its utmost to continue with these relations so that all citizens, of all religions and communities will be able to feel themselves secure as equal citizens in the country.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
