Violent Clashes Erupt in Jaffa

Two police officers were lightly wounded by rocks Tuesday night thrown during clashes that erupted in Jaffa, just south of Tel Aviv, Yediot Aharonot reports.

The violence came as an Arab protest against Israeli policy on Har HaBayis spiraled out of control. Police said the protest was held without necessary licenses, but was allowed to continue nonetheless.

A rock crashed through the window of a bus, which thankfully had only a few passengers aboard.

It was the first time clashes had reached central Israel since the recent wave of violence began in Yehudah, Shomron and Yerushalayim.

Tensions remained on a knife’s edge Tuesday as violent clashes wounded at least 50 Palestinians and three IDF soldiers, according to the Israeli military.

The Shuafat neighborhood in eastern Yerushalayim was the scene of particularly dramatic violence, near the mourning tent put up by the family of Fadi Aloun, who stabbed 15-year-old Moshe Malka overnight between Saturday and Sunday.

Police detectives came to the area to arrest a stone-thrower, and were immediately surrounded by locals, who tried to prevent them from executing the arrest. A border police unit that was close by was called in, and assisted the officers with the arrest.

Aloun, a 19 year old from Issawiya, stabbed the teenager Malka at the juncture of Hanevi’im and Kheil Hahandasah streets in Yerushalayim. He then fled toward Bar Lev Road, where he was shot and killed by police officers who noticed the knife in his hand.

Violence also erupted Tuesday at the Kalandiya checkpoint north of Yerushalayim, when Palestinians threw stones at police and border police forces. One border police soldier was lightly wounded by a stone thrown by Palestinians.

In a separate incident, dozens of Palestinian teenagers threw stones and Molotov cocktails from the Jilazoun area toward the town of Beit El, and at nearby vehicles. An IDF soldier arrested one of them.

Severe violence erupted near the Israeli Civil Administration building in the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council.

Coordination with Palestinian security forces is still in effect, but the situation is making work difficult. The IDF, meanwhile, also has to contend with Jewish rioters, whom security forces have dubbed as showing similar behavioral patterns to Palestinian rioters, such as stone-throwing and forcing drivers out of their cars.

Twelve Jewish youths were arrested due to these activities.

This article appeared in print on page 17 of the October 8th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.