Arab-Jewish school near Jerusalem damaged in fire
Police and the firefighters investigating how blaze started in coexistence community Neve Shalom
A fire seriously damaged a Jewish-Arab school in the community of Neve Shalom near Jerusalem.
Firefighters extinguished the flames at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, the local paper Bekitzur reported, and detectives from the police and the fire brigade were investigating how the fire started. No one was hurt in the blaze.
Neve Shalom was founded in 1969 by Bruno Hussar, a Christian monk who was born a Jew in Egypt. The community aimed to foster dialogue between Jews and Arabs.
A few dozen Jewish and Arab families live in the village. Its school uses both Arabic and Hebrew as languages of instruction.
The village has seen hate crimes in the past, including graffiti and the slashing of tires in 2012. It is also situated in a valley prone to brush fires and its residents had to be evacuated briefly in November 2016.
The Times of Israel Community.