"[Religious Zionist Party MK Itamar] Ben-Givr is not there [in Sheikh Jarrah] to protect Jews, he's there to incite violence and set the place aflame, a sad provocateur," Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told KAN Radio on Tuesday morning.
The last few weeks saw increased violence and tension in Sheikh Jarrah as Jews and Arabs clashed. Over the last two days, Ben-Gvir set up a tent in the neighborhood and has refused to leave until proper security and police protection are set up for the Jews who live there.
His acts, said Lapid, "are the desperate attempts of an attention-addict to create situations that will end in death. Arabs and Jews alike will die because of the actions of this man."
Likud MK Shlomo Kari attacked Lapid in response: "Who is he to criticize us when he is sitting with the Muslim Brotherhood [in the coalition goverment] and wants to cooperate with the Joint List, a party that wants to wipe us [Jews] off the Israeli map?"