At the opening of the Religious Zionism alliance's parliamentary office in Sheikh Jarrah, Itamar Ben Gvir of the far-right Religious Zionism alliance got into a fight with a police officer.
Following a visit by a controversial far-right Jewish politician, Israeli police stated they detained eight persons for alleged participation in "public rioting and violence" in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah during a visit by Israeli police.
Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism coalition, inaugurated a parliamentary office in Sheikh Jarrah on Sunday in an attempt to express support for the area's Jewish inhabitants. The opening was met with a scuffle.
Israel police stated in a statement that they will "continue to respond with determination and zero tolerance for violence of any type, disturbance of public order, and attempts to damage police personnel or citizens in violation of the law."
Tensions that erupted in Sheikh Jarrah last year – as a result of the displacement of many Palestinian families by settler organizations – contributed to the outbreak of violence between Israel and armed groups in the Gaza Strip in May.
There are around 200,000 Jewish settlers living in East Jerusalem's occupied territory, in colonies that are largely recognized as illegal under international law.
Settler organizations' efforts to increase their Jewish presence in occupied East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as their future capital, have exacerbated the already-intense situation.
Ben Gvir, a Jewish nationalist with a long history of making inflammatory remarks against Palestinians, accused police of failing to respond to reported arson attacks on a settler house in Sheikh Jarrah, which he described as "terrorist acts."
Prior to his visit, Ben Gvir took to Twitter to accuse that "Jewish lives have become meaningless."
"I'm going to stay here until the police take after the security of the [Jewish] inhabitants," Cohen told reporters in Sheikh Jarrah, where he had set up his "make-shift office" beneath a tent.
Ben Gvir called on his followers to congregate in the neighborhood, a move that ran the danger of igniting new clashes.
As part of the mobilization effort, Palestinians were also encouraged to participate, and a group of Jewish Israelis opposed to Ben Gvir issued an online petition calling supporters to go to Sheikh Jarrah to demonstrate solidarity with the town's Palestinian population.
Mohammed El-Kurd, a resident of Sheikh Jarrah, said on Twitter that Ben Gvir had set up his office in the front yard of the Salem family's home.
According to El-Kurd, "the people of Sheikh Jarrah have been subjected to a growing, concerted campaign of settler and police assault over the last few hours."
The residents of Sheikh Jarrah are confronting an intensifying, coordinated effort of settler and police violence in the past hours.
— Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) February 13, 2022
An Israeli politician set up his “office,” in the Salem family’s front yard. The family faces imminent homelessness come March. #SaveSheikhJarrah pic.twitter.com/vTdbbxIgBZ
In a tweet, the European Union expressed worry about Sunday's "violent confrontations," saying that "irresponsible provocations and other escalatory activities in this sensitive location only serve to exacerbate tensions and must be avoided at all costs."
In a statement issued from the Palestinian Authority's headquarters in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Ben Gvir's visit was described as a "provocative and escalating step that threatens to spark... violence that will be impossible to contain."
The Palestinian Quds News Network said on Sunday evening that Israeli police were using skunk water cannons to disperse Palestinian demonstrators in Sheikh Jarrah, according to the report.
Watch | Israeli occupation forces use skunk water cannons to disperse nonviolent Palestinian protesters in the occupied #Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, today.#SaveSheikhJarrah pic.twitter.com/6ZCKo0b5G9
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) February 13, 2022
Seven Palestinians who are facing eviction from their homes by settler organizations have brought their cases to Israel's highest court, the Supreme Court.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization that rules Gaza, has warned that Israel's continuous "assaults" on Sheikh Jarrah would have "consequences." Israel has denied the allegations.
Gazans and other Palestinians in East Jerusalem have accused Israeli police of using excessive force to disperse demonstrations.
Six persons were taken into custody late Saturday night following rioting in the neighborhood.
East Jerusalem was taken by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and then annexed by Israel, a decision that was not recognized by most of the international community at the time.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
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