Police chief invites Beduin leaders for Ramadan meal
Invitation to Iftar was answered by Beduin heads of regional councils, sheikhs, other notables, and an IDF representative.
By YAAKOV LAPPINPolice, Beduin Iftar in Negev_311(photo credit: Israel Police)
Southern police district head Cmdr. Yossi Prienti invited dozens of Beduin leaders for an evening meal to break the Ramadan fast on Sunday evening at police headquarters in Beersheba.The invitation to the Iftar meal was answered by a large number of attendees, including Beduin heads of regional councils, sheikhs, other notables and an IDF representative.RELATED:Obama hosts Iftar dinnerAt Ramadan meal in Negev guests call for tolerance The meal was welcomed by both police and Beduin leaders as a positive step aimed at building closer relations and cooperation.The meal was also attended by the southern district’s Arab affairs officer, Ch.-Supt.Shalom Ben Salamon, and his counterpart from the Negev police sub district.Describing the joint meal as “a new and important tradition that began this year,” Prienti said, “The full attendance is testament to the nature of our connection.”“My objective as district commander is to increase ties and cooperation in order to give a better service to the Arab community in the district.
I am currently planning to increase the number of officers in your area in order to provide you with a better service,” he added.
Prienti greeted his guests with the traditional wish of “Ramadan Kareem,” meaning “Ramadan is generous” in Arabic.Rahat Mayor Faiz Abu Saivan welcomed the initiative as an important step to improve relations with his community. Sheikh Aka al- Atrash, a community notable, discussed the significance of Ramadan in Islam and its associations with ideas of patience and tolerance, linking them with the relationship between police and the Beduin community.
