As Israel grapples with a spate of terror attacks, the month of Ramadan began on Shabbos, spurring Arab riots in the Old City of Jerusalem on Motzei Shabbos and Sunday night.
Arabs threw rocks and bottles and even iron bars at the police who were there to maintain order as they gathered at Har HaBayis for prayers, with the thrown objects also striking other Arabs returning from their prayers. Some even attacked the officers with their bare hands.
The police used riot control methods to restore order, including batons and stun grenades. One police officer was wounded and at least 10 Arabs were arrested.
Nothing like enjoying a meditative moment on the spiritual month of #Ramadan for the peace-loving #Jerusalem Arabs at the Damascus Gate of the Holy City pic.twitter.com/YvxMlDLhfC
— Yishai Fleisher يشاي ישי פליישר 🕎 (@YishaiFleisher) April 3, 2022
Earlier Sunday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid toured the Sha’ar Shechem area together with two Yesh Atid members and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai. Lapid spoke to the Border Police officers at their posts to thank them for their service and offer his support.
Typically, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and Arab media portrayed Lapid’s visit as “a dangerous escalation and provocation..during this ‘glorified’ month,” with Hamas issuing a statement saying: “The storming of Damascus Gate by Yair Lapid, the foreign minister of the Zionist enemy, is a provocative escalation and the occupation will bear the consequences.”
The PA’s statement said Lapid’s visit was “inherently provocative” and “incitement against the Palestinians and an ugly expression of Israeli apartheid in which the occupier protects the Jews and disregards the Muslim and Christian holidays, and denies the fact that Jewish extremists attack the Christians and Islamists.”
The statement continued by claiming that the fact that Lapid was accompanied by an entourage of police officers “is evidence that he’s an occupier and is frightened to tread on occupied land.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Political actors should stay away from Arabs and frum Yiddin. Their whole police, Magav, Shabak entourage causes more harm than it ever serves a good pr function for them. It’s clear no one in these places is happy to see a suave makeup-faced Lapid. Political actor’s entourage causes traffic and minor conflicts. Anyway, what really deserves comment in my view is this one video of the Arab riot. Magavnik grabs hoodie of some Arab kid and stretches it, possibly rips it, and continues to hold the said garment as the Arab naturally flies into a rage and starts punching the Magavnik in the face visor incessantly. That is the natural reaction of an Arab having his garment grabbed by a Magavnik and damaged and the Magavnik refusing to let go of the garment even if the Arab would naturally back up if he were to let go of the garment. This is not the first of such incidents. They just invite violence onto themselves when they grab people or their garments or possessions. It really is just a bad practice that Magav should stop. The only physical assault/battery between a Magavnik and anyone blocking a street or whatever should be pushing the person in a certain direction. Magav grabbing people causes reciprocations of battery in the attempt to evade from Magav. Magavniks are war criminals. Okay. I think I’ve vented enough.