Fire, vandalism, graffiti, mar campaign

Police and firefighters are investigating the cause of a large fire at the campaign headquarters of the Social Justice Party in Haifa.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Police and firefighters are investigating the cause of a large fire at the campaign headquarters of the Tsedek Hevrati (Social Justice) Party in Haifa's Kiryat Yam at the weekend, reports www.local.co.il. The fire, which broke out around 4 a.m. last Saturday, was eventually extinguished by three teams of firefighters, but caused heavy damage to the office. Firefighters and police are investigating the blaze. Meanwhile, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav's campaign office has issued a complaint with police over the vandalism and destruction of mayoral election posters around the city, reports www.local.co.il. The campaign office said it was "surprised" at the vandalism, given that the previous elections in 2003 had been even more stormy than the current campaign, and yet had not descended into "hooliganism and violence of this sort." And in Upper Nazareth, the head of that city's Israel Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) list, Alex Gedalkin, was dismayed to discover that racist graffiti had been spray-painted on the windows of his hairdressing salon over the weekend, reports www.mynet.co.il. "Russians stink, are prostitutes and drunks," was written in large letters on the salon's windows. Gedalkin, known for his work in assisting poor and needy Russian immigrants in the city, immediately filed a complaint with police and erased the words. Police said they were investigating.