One violent highlight occurred that day when a rock smashed the window of the van transporting Religious Zionist Party MKs touring some of the attacked sites. No casualties were reported, but the incident underscored the anger, frustration and magnitude of the Arab riots.
One new element in this round of violence is the use of technology: smartphones, TikTok and the rapidity with which recorded scenes appeared on social media. Young Arabs attacked unsuspecting Jewish passersby in the Old City, in some seam neighborhoods and even in the city center and on the light rail, slapping Jews in the face or kicking them. Most were targeted because of their haredi appearance, something that rarely happened in the past – with the violence rapidly posted.
Many cite the installation of police barricades in the amphitheater at Damascus Gate as a flashpoint in this new round of violence.
“The barricades ignited a fire that is never too far in this city,” said Hagay Agmon-Snir, until recently the CEO of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center on Mt. Zion and one of the more prominent Jerusalemites involved in civil programs with the Arab sector.
“These [violent] youths are a headache for all of us,” says Shaher, a resident of a nearby Arab neighborhood heavily involved in the riots. “There are rumors that the whole thing is orchestrated by Hamas or the Turks or the Palestinian Authority, who want to set the city on fire for their own interests – but why are the police acting with so much violence? Who is going to explain to the police that this is not the best course of action to calm the atmosphere?
“Do we need to experience a tragedy to understand that this is not the way?”
THE DECISION to position fences and barricades on the stairs around Damascus Gate was perceived as a declaration of war by Arab residents, said a merchant in the Old City, who requested not to be identified. (“You never know who will read this,” he explained with a smile.) “But the message is clear: After this terrible year with coronavirus and the closure of practically all the economic life of Arabs in the city, the illness and death, came the holy month of Ramadan. Arab Jerusalemites traditionally come to the Gate after the dinner that ends the fast to meet and spend time with friends and relatives with music, sweets. Because of a few stupid teenagers the police deprived us of one of our few sources of joy, and people are surprised?”
Sources at Safra Square say that Mayor Moshe Lion didn’t like, to put it mildly, the march by the far-Right Lehava group “to show the Arabs who are rulers here,” and even tried to prevent it. Lion was also against the barricades at Damascus Gate, and though it took Police Chief Doron Turgeman an additional day to change his mind and remove them, their removal did not, as some predicted, quell the violence.
“In previous years with prior police chiefs,” adds Agmon-Snir, “we managed to reach an understanding, that the police have to establish a dialogue before using force. This is not happening anymore, unfortunately. I don’t know what caused this change, but that’s a fact. Without downplaying the gravity of the attacks of these youth and the violence of their acts, that was not the proper answer to achieve calm.” It is worth noting that Turgeman’s decision to put barricades around Mea She’arim a few months ago also inflamed the ultra haredim.
Old City residents say they are the first to pay the price of the “folly of this Internet,” as one of them dubbed it.
“We are facing the terrible consequences of this pandemic – the loss of income, health and lives – and now we have to watch our children and grandchildren acting irresponsibly, causing us even more damage. And the police are responding with more force. Why use so much force against teenagers? The mighty Israeli police have no other means?” sighs Amer, whose souvenir shop in the Old City has been closed for more than a year.
On Tuesday morning, MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) declared, “We cannot pour more oil on this bonfire and enunciate nationalistic slogans now. This is too dangerous.”
“Things can get even worse,” cautions Agmon-Snir. “Within the next two weeks, we have al-Quds Day (the Palestinian equivalent of Yom Yerushalayim) and Laylat al-Qadr (the 27th night of Ramadan which Muslims spend in prayer on the al-Aqsa esplanade) and the Eid al-Fitr ending the Ramadan month, while on the Jewish side we will have Jerusalem Day with the flag parade and the Shavuot festival. I wish us all good luck; we are going to need it.”
A requested response from the police wasn’t received by press time.