Or Commission

   Three-member state Commission of Inquiry headed by retired Supreme Court justice Theodore Or charged with investigating the riots of October 2000 and the deaths of 13 people from police fire, when thousands of Israeli Arabs demonstrated in solidarity with Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. On 1 September 2003, the Or Commission reported that it found a pattern of government "prejudice and neglect" toward Israel's Arab minority and accused the police of using excessive force three years earlier in responding to riots. The commission said that insensitivity by the Israeli establishment permitted widespread discrimination against Israeli Arabs and the buildup of an atmosphere of a combustible nature. Criticizing police tactics used to disperse crowds, the report concluded that Israel "must educate its police that the Arab public is not the enemy, and should not be treated as such." The commission made specific recommendations about police action and suggestions for changes in governmental attitude and approaches to the Arab population.