Concrete blocks and rocks: Video captures Palestinian youths clashing with troops
Video shot in East J'lem's Issawiya neighborhood shows dozens of Palestinians throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at security forces; meanwhile, there have been 80 incidents of stones thrown at the J'lem light rail just this year, and knife attacks have proliferated in the West Bank.
A video shot recently in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya captured what has become a daily reality for security forces.
The video shows dozens of masked Palestinian youths throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at police officers and border guards while shouting "Allahu akbar", as security forces responded with riot dispersal measures. The youths can also be seen using trash cans to protect themselves.
The neighborhood of Issawiya is located in northeast Jerusalem, next to the French Hill neighborhood and Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus. Campus buildings can be seen in some parts of the video. But this is not the only site where clashes are occurring. A central locus of stone-throwing in Jerusalem is Shuafat Junction and the light rail that passes through it, which is hit by stones on a daily basis.
Jerusalem police said local law enforcement, border guards, and reinforcements in Issawiya have been working to prevent rioters from reaching roads next to the neighborhood and preventing injuries.
It also said that over the last month, 16 suspects had been arrested in Issawiya rioting, including 11 minors. Eight were indicted. n Another 20 locals were arrested in late July, including 10 minors.
CityPass, a consortium that operates the light rail in Jerusalem, recently presented figures in the Knesset, saying that the first half of 2015 saw more than 80 incidents in which stones were thrown at the light rail. In 46 of the incidents windows needed to be replaced.
"The light rail is armored in order to protect the passengers' security, so even when stones were thrown there were no injuries," CityPass said. "However, we take these incidents seriously and are in regular contact with police and other bodies dealing with the issue and are sure that they are doing everything in order to prevent recurrence of these incidents."
Meanwhile, the West Bank has seen its fair share of violent incidents, most recently on Wednesday night when a Palestinian threw a pipe bomb at an IDF post.
Residents told Ynet on Thursday they were deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation, adding that the Jewish terror attack that killed two members of the Dawabsheh family has changed circumstances.
"There was a long period of relative quiet and after what happened in Duma, everything went back to being how it was a year or two ago," said 19-year-old Yonatan. "My friend and I have lost hope for peace because there's no one to talk to. We're afraid, but we have to go on living."
Emuna, 16, a resident of Yitzhar, laughed when asked if there was a possibility of her accepting a ride from a Palestinian driver. "They hate us and we hate them," she said. "Before there's peace, they have to stop stabbing and throwing stones and Molotov cocktails and understand that we live here and have no intention of giving up on settling in all the territory of the State of Israel."
Border guards at Tapuach Junction were a reassuring presence, but even they could not deny the dangerous reality. "We are being more careful and doing what's necessary to protect the residents," said one guard. "We realized they had a new method, to complain about a headache and then pull out a knife and attack, so we are being careful, keeping our distance, and protecting one another."
At Gush Etzion Junction, teenagers began gathering in the afternoon on the way home from central Israel and Jerusalem. "We have been hitchhiking for years and have no other choice," said one named Oded. "Every few months there's a new wave and that's won't change anytime soon. Since what happened in Duma, we see many more soldiers and border guards on the roads. But that's not the solution. What needs to happen is for the government to decide that for every incident, they'll build a new settlement and keep developing the settlements. That's the only way the terror will stop."
