Nazareth mayor accuses Joint List MKs of ‘ruining coexistence’

Salam said he told Joint List head Ayman Odeh (Hadash) to get out of Nazareth when he saw him in the city at a protest on Saturday.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
Updated: OCTOBER 12, 2015 06:57
Joint List MK Ayman Odeh (photo credit: FACEBOOK)
Joint List MK Ayman Odeh
(photo credit: FACEBOOK)
Nazareth mayor Ali Salam accused Joint List MKs of “ruining coexistence” in an interview on Army Radio Sunday.
“I blame the leaders. What is happening is not appropriate,” he said. “It is just ruining our future, ruining our coexistence.”
Joint List MKs have been organizing and leading protests and riling up the Arab public to violence, which Salam said has led to a sharp drop in Jewish customers and complaints from local business owners.
The mayor accused the MKs of participating in the protests just for the media attention, adding that 80 percent of Arab MKs are not properly working for the people who elected them.
Salam said he told Joint List head Ayman Odeh (Hadash) to get out of Nazareth when he saw him in the city at a protest on Saturday.
The recent violence is not supported by 80% of Israeli Arabs, he said, indicating that the latest protests have led to the destruction of property.
“We want to live together,” continued Salam, who said he does not agree with what is going on at the Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount, but that there are other ways to make Arab voices heard.
Salam also stressed that he is not against protesting, but said those who organize protests must be responsible for the youths.
In Nazareth on Saturday night, a few dozen protesters blocked Paulos Street and began burning dumpsters and throwing rocks at police.
Riot police and Border Police officers arrested seven of the rioters, all of them Nazareth locals aged 18 to 39.
Ben Hartman contributed to this report.


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