Townley Jordan: Israeli Wildfire Blamed on Terror

Summary: A wildfire blazed throughout areas of Israel’s third largest city, as officials suggested that Arab assailants could have intentionally started the fire. Residents of Haifa’s northern neighborhoods were forced to evacuate as the fire spread. No one was injured, but a few people had to be hospitalized due to smoke inhalation. Israeli reservists were called to join police and firefighters, which was an unusual move. The fire in Haifa has been the most serious of fires to come about in the country in the past few days. The prime minister said that anyone found guilty would be punished severely and it would also be considered an act of terror. He did not elaborate the identity or motives of the suspects, but they typically use “terror” to refer to Arab or Palestinian militant activity. These accusations could deepen tension between the Jewish majority and Arab minority, who have suffered discrimination and been offended by the prime minister’s words in the past. The public minister said eight people have been arrested, and about half the fires have suspected arson.

Analysis: This article was written a few hours ago, so some information is still unknown. The author takes an informative approach. I knew that there was tension between the Jewish and Arab inhabitants of Israel, but I didn’t know that they were going so far as to attack each other with acts of terror or start fires. This article was written to inform people of what is going on in Israel right now and invoke a feeling of sympathy and compassion. This article relates to the times leading up to the Civil War, when there were tensions between the northern abolitionists and the southern fire eaters.

wildfire blamed on terror