Yeshiva students pelted by rocks in Druze village of Peki'in
Months after violent riots gripped Druze village in northern Israel, yeshiva students traveling through the town were assaulted by local youths
The students were on a tour of gravesites of Jewish spiritual leaders in northern Israel and had stopped to visit the cave where, according to legend, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai hid from the Roman army.
Bus driver Yoram Barak told Ynet that while he had noticed a group of four young Druze men "walking around and acting tough" while he parked the bus after letting the students off. "I ignored them and read a book," said Barak.
Barak said the Druze youths approached the students as they began to head back towards the bus and shoved one of the yeshiva students. “Our boys are very gentle in nature,” said Barak, “so no one responded and everyone got back on the bus. All of the sudden I heard a loud bang and immediately realized that they were throwing rocks at us."
Barak says that he only stopped to assess the damage to the bus once they had left the village. “Miraculously no one was hurt, and the only damage to the bus was a minor dent and a scratch on the window,” he said. Barak immediately called the police and asked them to warn other visitors to the area.
Galilee District Police officials said a unit had immediately been dispatched to the scene of what they
called a "very grave incident." Police were, however, unable to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the attack.
Dozens of police officers, local residents and MDA medics were injured in violent riots that broke out in Pek’in in late October after reports that a cellular antenna was to be installed in an adjoining village.
