The perpetual tension in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah flared after a Jewish resident’s home was firebombed on Friday night, incinerating the home.

Arabs threw Molotov cocktails in the house, including the room where the toddler normally sleeps, burning the crib. Baruch Hashem, the residents of the home, the Ushuvayev family, were not at home for Shabbos and their lives were spared. (Their family car has been set on fire nine times! in recent months.)

In response to the incident, Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir opened a “branch” of his Knesset office in the neighborhood, as he did last year when Arabs rioted in the area during Ramadan, saying that if the residents aren’t being protected by the police, he’ll work there until police set up a permanent post there.

“It is inconceivable that Arabs set fire to the Ushuvayev family’s car nine times, and try to burn them alive the tenth time  – and the Jerusalem police are acting as if it was just another ‘demonstration’ in front of their house. If the police aren’t there, I’ll be there.”

זהו ביתו של טל ישובייב, פורעים ערבים שרפו את מכוניתו כבר 9 פעמים, ובמהלך השבת הם שרפו את ביתו. בנס המשפחה לא שהתה בביתה השבת, ובכך חייה ניצלו. היכן אתם אבירי זכויות האדם שעכשיו אתם שותקים? היכן משטרת ישראל והמפכ"ל הכושל התולגותייה? למה אתם מחכים שיקרה אסון? חיי יהודים הפכו הפקר! pic.twitter.com/x78dF72mMK

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) February 12, 2022

Clashes ensued on Motzei Shabbos, with dozens of Arabs throwing rocks at Israeli civilians and security forces, and continued on Sunday.

The clashes intensified on Sunday evening after right-wing activists arrived at the scene, including Jerusalem city council member Aryeh King, to support Ben-Gvir and the neighborhood’s Jewish residents. Arab MKs also showed up to protest against Ben-Gvir’s presence in the neighborhood, including Joint List MKs Ahmed Tibi, Omer Cassif, and Osama Saadi. A physical altercation even ensued between Tibi and King, as seen below:

עימות פיזי בין ח״כ אחמד טיבי לסגן ראש עיריית ירושלים אריה קינג בשייח גארח pic.twitter.com/30N2XEFPXc

— חיים גולדברג (@haim_goldberg) February 13, 2022

Police officers raided Ben-Gvir’s office and tried to forcibly evict him from the burned home, despite his parliamentary immunity, and arrested a number of right-wing activists, while using stun grenades, injuring one activist.

During the ensuing clashes, Ben-Gvir fainted and was evacuated to the hospital.

Ben-Gvir said from his hospital bed in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital that he’s undergoing tests “after policemen acted with brutality and violence toward me until I fainted. Police are forbidden from touching an MK and it’s clear to me that they had an order from above to dismantle my parliamentary branch. It won’t help them! We’ll return until Shimon HaTzaddik is safe again.”

Ben-Gvir returned to his “office” on Monday morning at 8 a.m., saying that he won’t leave until police are permanently stationed in the area to protect the Jewish residents and additional security cameras are installed in the neighborhood.

In response to the situation, Hamas made its usual threats of reprisal and the EU expressed its usual “concerns.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)