Tekah family calls to stop protests until next week

A spokesman for the Tekah family asks protesters to stop the demonstrations that have rocked Israel over the past two days — until the seven-day shiva mourning period for their son Solomon concludes next week.

Solomon Tekah was shot and killed by an off-duty cop in an altercation Sunday in the northern city of Haifa, sparking sometimes violent protests by Ethiopian-Israeli youth who say the killing, which is now being investigated, is part of a pattern of police violence and racism toward their community.

“We lost a son, and we ask the public not to hold public protests until the shiva ends [on Sunday], and to act with restraint and patience. At the conclusion of the shiva, we will hold our just and legitimate protests in an organized fashion, in coordination with all the relevant parties, and without disrupting public order, certainly without violence,” the statement concludes.