Severe clashes broke out this morning (Wednesday) between Arab residents and police and security forces in the Beit Hanina neighborhood. This followed the discovery of the body of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in the Jerusalem forest.
Hundreds of protesters clashed with security forces, throwing stones and various objects at them, and even pelted the local light rail station with stones. Three pipe bombs were thrown, one of which exploded. An Arab citizen was taken to the hospital. Molotov cocktails were also thrown at the police.
In one of the riots in the Shuafat neighborhood, dozens of people attacked a man and lynched him.
Following the incident, the light rail stations between Pisgat Ze'ev and Shuafat were closed. Later, rioters destroyed three stations on the route, and one station was even set on fire.
There were disturbances in the neighborhood and the entrance to Beit Hanina from Pisgat Ze'ev was blocked to vehicle traffic. The police decided not to open the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors and tourists today, due to the tensions in the area. Light rail operations were also suspended in the Arab neighborhoods for fear of riots.
A Walla! photographer was injured in the Shwefat neighborhood by a rubber bullet fired at her. She was taken to the emergency room at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in mild-moderate condition. After a series of tests, she was transferred to Hadassah Ein Kerem for further treatment.
A young Arab man armed with a knife attempted to attack a security guard on the light rail, near the Clal Center. Security guards, with the help of riot police forces who arrived at the scene, subdued the young man. The security guard was taken to receive medical treatment after being bitten on the hand.
A burned body in the Jerusalem forest
In the early morning hours, the police received a report that an Arab teenager had been forcibly placed in a vehicle in the Beit Hanina area. Immediately upon receiving the report, the police took immediate action to track the vehicle's movement. Forces were deployed and checkpoints were set up, and search operations began. A helicopter launched into the air focused on the Jerusalem Forest area. Not long after, a charred body was found with signs of violence near a gas station in the Jerusalem Forest area.
The police are still examining all aspects of the investigation - criminal and national. "We are examining all aspects," said Superintendent Yossi Pariente, commander of the Jerusalem District.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke this afternoon with Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch. Netanyahu asked that the investigating authorities act as quickly as possible to investigate who is behind the heinous murder and what the background to the act was. Netanyahu called on all parties not to take the law into their own hands. "Israel is a state of law and everyone is commanded to act according to the law.".
Earlier, Aharonovitch said, after assessing the situation in the Jerusalem district: "We are talking about a fear of kidnapping, and we know about a teenager who was probably kidnapped, and we are probably also finding a connection to the finding of the body. These things are currently under investigation.".
The boy's relatives: Revenge murder
Relatives of the murdered boy were quick to accuse Israeli officials of the kidnapping and murder, saying: "They probably wanted to take revenge on us for the murder of the boys.".
The boy's mother told YNET: "My son left home at 3:30 in the morning. He was on his way to the mosque, and unfortunately he didn't return. Every day he goes to the mosque at this time to pray. I don't know what happened to him, who was behind the kidnapping. What I'm asking for now is to bring him back to me, because I can't live without him.".
A relative of the boy even linked the boy's absence to the body found in the forest. Other family members of the missing boy said: "The one who is causing a third intifada to bubble up is the extreme right in Israel. This murder is the act of cowards. We are paying the price for the murder of the three boys. What do we have to do with this? What happened in the territories does not concern us.".
Palestinian Authority: Condemn as we condemned
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was quick to place responsibility on Israel, demanding that the murderers be quickly found and brought to justice. Mahmoud Abbas also called on Netanyahu to condemn the murder, "just as we condemned the kidnapping and murder of the boys.".
Although the background to the murder is not yet clear, politicians from both the right and left were quick to respond.
Knesset members from the Balad movement, including Jamal Zahalka and Hanin Zoabi, came to pay a condolence visit to the boy's family home.
Minister Uri Ariel of the Jewish Home condemned the murder, without going into details. "The murder of the Arab boy this morning and the burning of his body is a heinous and shocking act," he wrote. "I call on the police to spare no effort, to reach the murderers as quickly as possible and bring them to justice.".
Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Galon linked the report about the boy to the demonstration by right-wing activists in Jerusalem. "If the suspicion that the boy was kidnapped and murdered on nationalist grounds is confirmed, the responsibility lies with the cabinet ministers who incited and called for revenge without distinguishing between the innocent and those responsible for the horrific murder and kidnapping," said Galon. "The hundreds of Kahanist and nationalist right-wing activists who rioted in Jerusalem demanding revenge and harming Arabs were encouraged by the inflammatory statements of the extreme right-wing ministers in the cabinet who sought revenge, spoke of revenge and incited anger.".
MK Dov Hanin also responded: "A dangerous wave of hatred and violence threatens to sweep the country. There are those who are exploiting the shock and difficult atmosphere following the murder of the teenagers to incite against Arabs wherever they are. At this time, the test of the leadership is its ability to prevent the fall into the abyss and to forcefully stop those who are trying to push us there.".
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was quick to condemn the murder of the Arab boy this morning. "This is a grave and barbaric act that should not be done and I strongly condemn it. This is not our way and I trust the security forces to bring the perpetrators to justice. I call on everyone to exercise restraint, to put violence of any kind out of bounds and to work to calm the situation.".
Light rail on a shortened route
Due to the events, the light rail is operating on a shortened route: from Mount Herzl Station to Ammunition Hill Station in both directions.
In addition, there is a 'shuttle' service by the light rail between the Givat HaTachmoshet and Givat HaMavitha stations in both directions. Egged bus lines are operating as usual.
You can get from Givat HaTachmoshet to Pisgat Ze'ev and Neve Yaakov on the regular bus lines: Line 66 - to Pisgat Ze'ev - stop on Route 1 opposite Givat HaTachmoshet station. Lines 22, 65 - to Pisgat Ze'ev - stop at the intersection of Givat HaTachmoshet and Eshkol Boulevard. Lines 25, 45 - stop at the intersection of Givat HaTachmoshet and Eshkol Boulevard.
A Citypass spokesman said: "During riots by residents in the Shuafat and Beit Hanina neighborhoods, 3 light rail stations were vandalized; Beit Hanina, Shuafat, and A-Sahl. Extensive damage was caused to the stations, some of which were also set on fire and burned.".
The CEO of Citypass said: "The vandalism was recorded by the security cameras at the scene and the documentation was transferred to the Jerusalem Police, with the aim of locating the rioters and bringing them to justice.".
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