Knesset Discusses Arab Violence in Eastern Yerushalayim

YERUSHALAYIM

A day after another rock-throwing incident in eastern Yerushalayim, Jews living in predominantly Arab parts of the capital testified before the Knesset Interior Committee about near-daily rock-throwing attacks and not infrequent firebombings, Arutz Sheva reported.

On Tuesday, police were called out to quell rock-throwing at a group of yeshivah students in eastern Yerushalayim. Police fired shots during the incident, but no one was hurt.

MK Rabbi Yisrael Eichler (UTJ) told the committee that he had come under attack in during a levayah on Har Hazeisim. “The state is not ‘broadcasting’ that it wants to be sovereign in eastern Yerushalayim,” he said.

Attorney Elisha Peleg, a member of the city council, declared, “There is no security for Jews living in eastern Yerushalayim,” adding that residents in other parts of the city are not safe either. Arab gangs come to French Hill and other Jewish areas in order to harass the residents, he charged. “The Arabs want to create a de facto split in Yerushalayim. This lawlessness is a prelude to diplomatic talks.”

A police commander who attended the meeting reported that attacks have been growing more frequent since late 2012.

Police have arrested 207 Arab residents of the city for attacking police officers or Israeli civilians since the beginning of the year. Most were minors, he said. Only 47 of the offenders were jailed pending trial.

MK Talab Abu-Arar (Ra’am Ta’al) called for a discussion of Jewish attacks on Arabs, and said that everyone should work to reduce violence.

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