Jews Under Heavy Arab Attack Fire Guns In East Jerusalem

The conflict in the Shimon HaTzadik [Sheikh Jarrah] neighborhood in east Jerusalem intensified on Thursday night when hundreds of Arabs rioted at the site, wounding Israel Police officers and civilians and destroying the office of MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, who moved his office there earlier in the day in a show of solidarity with the Jewish residents.

Ben-Gvir claimed that after hours of riots, Israel Police evacuated hundreds of policemen, leaving only five police officers to maintain control over hundreds of rioting Arabs, who proceeded to violently attack Jews, throw rocks and chairs, burn Jewish-owned cars and destroy other property.

A number of Jewish residents feared for their lives and fired their guns in the air.

ערבים הציתו רכב וזרקו בלוקים על יהודים, הם בתגובה שלפו נשקים pic.twitter.com/K1hLJEFAp6

— Itamar Cohen | איתמר כהן (@Itamar_cohen_1) May 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/GiladCohenJR/status/1390398972435501058?s=20

https://twitter.com/marzel_ba/status/1390367123583741953?s=20

תיעוד: הקטטה האלימה בין יהודים לערבים בשייח ג'ראח בירושלים@moyshis pic.twitter.com/tmRdzpCr4P

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 6, 2021

עשרות פורעים ערבים תקפו באבנים וחפצים, שוטרים שעמדו בצד לא התערבו.

בן גביר: "פורעים ערבים החריבו את לשכתי. זרקו אבנים, כסאות ומכל הבא ליד, כאשר השוטרים עמדו בצד ולא התערבו. הגיע הזמן שהמשטרה תפעל נגד מי שמנסה ימים ארוכים לפגוע בתושבי שכונת שמעון הצדיק ובריבונות מדינת ישראל". pic.twitter.com/vdUsTYtoRl

— Itamar Cohen | איתמר כהן (@Itamar_cohen_1) May 6, 2021

The dispute over the neighborhood began when a court accepted the appeal of Jews to reclaim the land that was Jewish-owned before 1948, leading to the impending eviction of four Arab families, consisting of over 70 people, from the neighborhood.

Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir moved his “office” to the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. It was later destroyed during Arab riots (Photo: Elyasaf Cohen)

The Arabs facing eviction filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, and a discussion on the issue is scheduled to be held on Monday.

The timing of the hearing has heightened the tension, as Friday is the last day of Ramadan, always a time of increased Arab-Israeli conflict, and Monday is Yom Yerushalayim, when Israel marks the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City following the Six-Day War in 1967.

The kever of Shimon Hatzadik is located in the neighborhood.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)