JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israel is tightening security in flashpoint areas to ward off possible unrest this weekend when two important religious festivals coincide for the first time in three decades.
The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur begins on Friday evening, followed on Saturday by Muslim Eid al-Adha, against a backdrop of high tension over the seven-week Gaza military offensive which killed over 2,000 Palestinians.
Israeli security forces have said they will deploy additional personnel in East Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Hebron.
The authorities have also come to agreements with the Jewish and Muslim communities in mixed Israeli cities on the timing of celebrations.
A potential trigger for clashes is the difference between how the Muslim and Jewish occasions are marked.
While Muslims celebrate with outings to see friends and family as well as feasting, Jews spend 25 hours in prayer and fasting and refrain from driving.
Anyone driving on Yom Kippur risks stone throwing by observant Jews who have even been known to attack Israeli ambulances and police vehicles.
The clash of festivals has not occurred for 33 years because the two faiths use different lunar calendars. more
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