Seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the burning down of a bicycle shop in central Israel last month, the Israel Police announced on Tuesday.
The owner of the store, located in the Arab-Israeli town of Tayibe, had donated 50 bicycles to survivors of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre. As news of the donation spread on social media, so did anger in the town of 45,000.
Tayibe is located in an area south of Haifa known as the “Arab Triangle” for its concentration of Arab localities.
Police said five suspects were initially arrested, which led to two further arrests. The suspects are charged with arson, looting, weapons offenses and desecrating the flag.
Police added that one of the suspects’ charges involved terrorism, but did not elaborate further.
All the suspects are residents of Tayibe.
News of the donation spread last month after Yoseph Haddad, a prominent Israeli Arab activist, praised the gift on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“A moment of exciting Israeli partnership: Alaa, an Israeli Arab with a bicycle business in Tayibe decided to donate 50 pairs of bicycles to the residents of the south who came to the community of Tzur Yitzhak. Thank you, Alaa, you are the Israeli spirit at its best!” Haddad tweeted at the time.
