Community Members Recall Recent Visit to Akko Following Riots, Bombings

By Jeff Linkon, Federation Director of Operations

In 2017, my wife and I participated in our Western Galilee Partnership2Gether Consortium’s Educators Delegation trip to Israel. The trip focused on building relationships between educators and students, programs for Akko’s at-risk youth, and programs promoting coexistence amongst the region’s religiously diverse population. I recall the vibe in Akko being different from what I had experienced in other parts of the country and I began paying closer attention to our Partnership’s ongoing efforts in promoting coexistence in Akko and throughout the region. 
But for many residents, hopes and dreams for the city of Akko came to a crashing halt when riots broke out in May resulting in violent attacks that led to death, serious injury, and the destruction of Jewish businesses, historical buildings, and archives. It is understandable that for some who were actively committed to the ideals of coexistence, today they are speaking only of existence.
In June, weeks after Hamas fired 2,000+ rockets into Israel from Gaza, and violence had erupted in Akko and across Israel, Sarit and I traveled to Israel to spend time with family. With deep ties to our Partnership, we reached out to colleagues in Israel to learn a delegation from Des Moines’ Jewish Federation was visiting and offered to have us join them for the day.
It was an emotional day of highs and lows, coupled with confusion and clarity of purpose and direction. While walking through the old city of Akko and seeing firsthand the aftermath of the May riots, I couldn’t help but feel physically ill. And, at the same time, in speaking to several Arab residents in Akko, they openly embraced our presence, welcoming us as we passed by, speaking to us in Hebrew, saying: “We are all human beings. We must live together in peace.” We heard stories of heroism, of local Arab residents protecting synagogues and attempting to keep the mob from destroying some Jewish businesses. 
We stopped at Uri Buri, home to the famous Jewish chef Uri Jeremias, who lost his restaurant and hotel to fire during the riots. He shared with us that immediately following his unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the fire at his restaurant, he committed himself to “not be consumed by hate, revenge and self-pity, and concentrate his efforts on rebuilding and restoring all the physical and mental spirit of Akko.” Uri has been active for many years in coexistence efforts and feels strongly that Jews, Muslims, and Christians must strive for something more than just coexisting together, and must form deeper bonds of connection and friendship that lead to a model of “shared-life.” 
We met with political and professional colleagues representing Jewish and Arab political parties in Akko. Friends with deep respect for one another but deferring views on what happened leading up to and during the May riots; however, they agree on the future: We have done so many things right that we can continue to build on, but we must identify what we did wrong or haven’t done to ensure a more favorable outcome for Akko’s future. 
We traveled to the Arab Village of Sheikh Danun and met with Golan and Achmed, professional colleagues and close friends who work at community centers in the Mateh Asher Region of our Partnership. One Jewish, the other Arab, they work together tirelessly to bridge the gap between Jews and Arabs in the region. On the wall in the Arab community center was a quote written in Hebrew from Jewish author and philosopher A.D. Gordon: “There will not be a victory of light over darkness as long as we do not recognize the simple truth, that instead of fighting the darkness, we must increase the light.”  A true testament to the important work they remain dedicated to.  
May was certainly a setback for our Partnership region and as remnants of the physical devastation in Akko’s old city continue to serve as a reminder of the fragile relationships between Jews, Arabs and Christians in the city and region, more time is needed to fully understand how they arrived to this moment in time. And yet, despite feelings of anger, confusion, and fear, we see and hear stories of forgiveness, hope, and rebuilding. The road is long, and the work is hard. I am thankful for the Indianapolis Jewish Community’s commitment to our Partnership2Gether region and remain committed to the Partnership’s goals and priorities. I hope our community continues to visit and support the region, just as our friends on the other side of the ocean are here for us as we fight unprecedented antisemitism in our community and around the world.

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