Arabs broke into an apartment in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of Lod, blocked the corridors in the apartment using a refrigerator, and engraved swastikas, a PLO flag and "Lod is Arab" on the wall.
The apartment in question was inhabited by Jews, and was torched by Arabs last year during the riots in the mixed cities. The apartment has not been restored since Operation Guardian of the Walls, and it has become a kind of museum that tells the story of the Jews in Lod during the riots.
In recent days, the Arabs re-entered the ruined apartment, broke the few objects that were left inside, and as noted, engraved a swastika and inscriptions in Arabic and Hebrew.
Last week, eleventh-grade students from a yeshiva high school in Mitzpe Ramon, who were visiting the city of Lod, came under attack by local Arab residents of the city.
The students defended themselves as best they could and then fled into a nearby synagogue after one of them was attacked with pepper spray. Police were summoned and helped the group leave the city, but failed to arrest even a single one of their attackers.
In the early hours of the next morning, however, police raided the homes of the high school's rabbi, who had been on the tour with the students, and of the tour guide. The rabbi was not at home at the time and police left a summons to appear at the Lod police station at a certain hour. The tour guide was apprehended, handcuffed as his family watched in shock, and put under arrest for allegedly causing property damage. He has since been released on bail and under restrictive conditions.
Attorney Adi Keidar of the Honenu legal aid organization lambasted police for their actions. “Students touring the city of Lod were attacked by a group of rioters from a minority group, and when the police arrived at the scene after the incident, the Jews explained to them what happened. And what did they do? In the middle of the night, they arrested a father of four, a law-abiding citizen and teacher, in front of his wife, for no reason whatsoever, and released him only later that morning after an exhaustive investigation.
"It seems the police have elected to continue their defense of violent minorities and persecution of victims. They are actively harming public safety and security," Keidar added.
