‘We will not live in fear in our homeland’ – Arab-Israeli Conflict

As Jewish boys no older than 10 silently lit a candle memorial in the form of a Star of David behind a metal partition in the Old City’s Arab Quarter on Wednesday, shoving matches between young Palestinian men and police nearly escalated into a fullscale riot less than 20 meters away.

 

Nearby, dozens of heavily armed Border Police and riot officers who were not involved in the scuffle maintained steely and alert stares at a group of enraged Muslim youths denied passage on Hagai Street, near Lion’s Gate, following the second terrorist attack there in five days.

 

Amid the tense scene, shouts of “Am Yisrael Chai!” (The people of Israel lives!) and “We are not afraid!” could be heard over a loudspeaker, as a group of yeshiva students wearing blue T-shirts inscribed in Hebrew with those same words, defiantly waved Israeli flags.

 

Donny Jacobowitz, 17, and his two yeshiva classmates, waited patiently for police to allow them to continue down the street, as officers forcefully removed shouting Arab men from the area that had been cordoned off.

 

“Obviously I’m a little nervous walking around here, but the ideals overcome the fear,” said Jacobowitz, as he watched the melee play out a few meters away. “Jerusalem is our holiest city, and we have to fight for it.”

 

Read More: ‘We will not live in fear in our homeland’ – Arab-Israeli Conflict – Jerusalem Post