Additional police officers deployed throughout Acre to prevent further incidents of violence

As of 10 October 2008 as many as 700 additional police officers have been deployed throughout Acre to prevent further incidents of violence. After rioting and violence between Jews and Israeli Arabs overnight on 8-9 October 2008, renewed violence was reported on 9 October in the port city. Following the end of Yom Kippur at sundown, Jewish youths gathered near the entrances of Arab neighborhoods, but were prevented from entering them by security forces. Authorities used water hoses to disperse participants, who threw rocks and other objects at one another and burned tires. Violence was reported at the city's train station as well as in the Old City area, where a large portion of the Israeli Arab population is concentrated. Authorities temporarily cordoned off all roads leading into Acre so as to isolate the violence, but because tensions have been stoked, further clashes are likely to occur. The violence initially erupted late on 8 October, when a group of youths attacked an Israeli Arab driver who they claim was intentionally causing disturbances while driving during the Yom Kippur holiday. News of the attack spread, causing hundreds of Israeli Arabs to take to the streets near the Ben Gurion neighborhood and clash with Jews. As many as 40 stores and shops (mostly Jewish-owned businesses) and 120 vehicles were damaged in the 8 October rioting. The violence is the worst between the two communities in years, and as such, Israeli authorities are now on a high alert in areas where there is a mixed population of Jews and Arabs, including in Jerusalem, Haifa, Jaffa, Ramle and Lod. At least one minor incident was reported in Jerusalem on 10 October, where three Arab youths reportedly threw rocks at a Jewish yeshiva located on Moshe Bar-Am Street; no damage or injuries resulted from the incident. Although this is an alarming development as it may be linked to the Acre violence and could result in tit-for-tat incidents, it is important to note that there have been sporadic incidents of minor violence between the Jewish and Arab communities in Jerusalem in recent years.