JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli police on Tuesday arrested 10 Jewish activists from an extremist group opposed to Arab-Jewish coexistence, including its leader, in the first major clampdown against a fringe organization that has become a symbol of rising anti-Arab sentiment.
Police said the crackdown followed a 10-month undercover investigation of “Lehava,” known for its efforts to break up Arab-Jewish romances. The group has become increasingly visible in recent months amid rising tensions around a sensitive Jerusalem holy site and a wave of deadly Palestinian attacks.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the arrests early Tuesday took place in Jerusalem and in the Hebron area of the West Bank, a region known for its hard-line Jewish settlements. He said the suspects were apprehended on suspicion of racist incitement and calls for “violent activity and terror.”
On Monday, Israel also indicted three group members for allegedly torching a bilingual Hebrew-Arabic school in Jerusalem late last month where Arab and Jewish elementary and high school students study together.
“There is absolutely no place for these people in Israeli society,” former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni told Israel Radio. “Our situation is simply too sensitive to allow it.”