Lod Mayor Yair Revivo revealed a shocking statistic earlier last week, saying that “400 Jewish families left Lod since the riots.”

Riots broke out in mixed Arab-Jewish cities in May, on the same day that Operation Guardian of the Walls began. One of the worst-affected cities was Lod, with some Jewish families actually evacuated from their homes, and the ones that stayed fearing for their lives. Arabs shattered windows and set fire to shuls and Jewish homes in scenes reminiscent of Kristallnacht, and Jews were stabbed, shot, and beaten on the streets of their own neighborhoods.

One Lod resident, Yigal Yehoshua, z’l, was critically injured during a riot and later died of his wounds.

Speaking at a meeting of the Land of Israel Knesset caucus, Revivo said that “national priority” must be placed on mixed cities to further develop them and encourage Jews to move there.

“We’re still suffering from post-trauma,” Revivo said.

Revivo noted that although he has provided significant funding to the Arab sector in his city “their Palestinian identity prevailed.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)