Arabesque and Efendi

"Arabesque is much more than just a small boutique hotel ... It is a labor of love shared by Muslims, Jews and Christians alike.  At Arabesque we view art and culture as a unifying factor, even – or especially – in a region of contention like the Middle East." From the Arabesque website

Unfortunately, the 'unifying factor' was far from evident in the past week as riots and clashes between Arabs and Jews spread like wildfire through Israeli cities with mixed populations.

Evan Fallenberg, owner of Arabesque in Acre (Akko), posted the following on Facebook:

"On Wednesday, shortly after midnight, Arabesque fell to the hands of a violent mob, in spite of the best efforts of our neighbors, who deflected the attack time and again until the mob grew to fifty and there were threats to burn down the entire neighborhood."

Arabesque was not the only victim in Acre of the widespread violence. The nearby Efendi boutique hotel was also torched and its adjacent world-famous Uri Buri restaurant was burned down. Jodie and I had stayed at the Efendi and had eaten at Uri Buri on a romantic weekend four years ago.

Uri Jeremias, owner of Effendi and the restaurant, told Yediot Aharonot this week that they were specifically targeted because they served as an example of coexistence in Acre.

Coexistence in Israel seems to be hanging by a thread these days. There have been clashes between Arab rioters and Israeli police in Jaffa (Yafo), Lod, and elsewhere. There have been shootings and attempted lynches, of both Jews and Arabs. It should be noted that some of the violence has been perpetrated by right-wing extremist Jews.

There has been sharp criticism of both the police's inability to handle Israel's internal crisis (at a time when there is a serious war with Hamas in Gaza) and the government, which has consistently ignored the country's Arab minority.

But, despite everything, there is hope. Uri Jeremias remains optimistic and plans to rebuild Efendi and re-open the Uri Buri restaurant, "better than before".

Evan Fallenberg posted: "It is not yet clear whether the people in this sad, beautiful, ravaged land can ever learn to respect the differences and distinctions between us and use them for an enhanced joint future, whether the wrongs committed by all parties can be righted. Only this, I know for certain: the friendships I have made in Acre are real and unassailable, even by hatred, anger and muscle. From this, I will build a future."

Evan Fallenberg is an American-born Israeli author and a translator of Hebrew books, plays and films. I have previously reviewed his novels When We Danced on Water and The Parting Gift.

Related articles:

The Sidewalk of Coexistence

Romantic Weekend in Israel’s other Walled Old City