"In the Holy Land, everything has a confessional repercussion, but the root cause of such riots is not religious, but social". This was claimed by the Custodian of the Holy Land, father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who comments with SIR the violence that broke out in the last few days in Akko, the ancient Acre, between Israeli Jews and Arabs. "It is not the first time and it will not be the last states the Custodian . In Israel, there’s never been too good a relationship between Arabs and Jews. Israeli Arabs feel they are heavily discriminated against by the Jewish side: fewer investments, fewer opportunities, fewer prospects and even the areas in which they live have fewer infrastructures". In this condition, goes on Pizzaballa, "violence may happen which is usually followed by talks. From a social point of view, many things have improved lately, but in the area of Acri (Akko) there’s still a lot to be done". "The appeals to reconciliation made by the two head rabbis of Israel, the Sephardi Moshe Amar and the Ashkenazi Yona Metzger, have been very important to try to restore peace concludes the priest as has been the commitment of all the political institutions, first and foremost President Peres, and that of the Arab and Jewish sides". In the meantime, the city remains garrisoned by hundreds of policemen, and the yearly festival of alternative theatre has been suspended.” “
