http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3700626,00.html Disgruntled Arab workers riot
Arab employees vandalize southern inn, spray-paint swastika after being laid off
Ahuva Mamos
Published: 04.12.09, 20:05 / Israel News
Violent confrontation in the desert: employees at Inn 101, located on the Arava Highway en route to Eilat, rioted Saturday after being laid off, vandalizing the site and spray-painting a swastika on one of its walls.
Police officers are currently searching for the suspects, who reside in east Jerusalem.
The riot broke out after a company who operated two food outlets at the site decided to close them down following a business dispute with the inn's owner. Two of the laid off workers, who are east Jerusalem Arabs, were subsequently asked to vacate their room at the inn.
After realizing they will have to leave their place of residence, the two Arab employees clashed with Jewish workers at the site. After they left their room, inn employees were shocked to find massive destruction left behind. The inn's security chief said it appeared that the disgruntled workers pounded the walls with an iron rod.
Later on, the two employees returned with some friends from east Jerusalem and assaulted one of the workers at the inn. Other employees, including the inn's owner, sustained light wounds in the riot. The rioters left the scene after realizing the police were dispatched to the scene.
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An employee who was assaulted with a metal tray said he received threatening phone calls following the incident and was told that his throat will be slit and that "they'll show him what east Jerusalemites are all about" should he dare file a complaint.
Eilat deputy police chief, Eitan Gedasi, said that a probe into the incident had been launched. "The attackers' identity is known to police, and we'll interrogate them once they're located," he said.