Violent clashes in Jerusalem during Ramadan
Violent clashes on Friday night called for heightened security as far-right Jewish Israelis, Palestinians and police left dozens injured and under arrest.
The holy month always brings a large number of worshippers to pray at the mosques in the holy city, and the past week has seen a series of violent assaults on Palestinians after TikTok videos showed Palestinians assaulting Orthodox Jews near Damascus Gate, the entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City.
The violence kicked off on Thursday night after an anti-Arab far-right Jewish activist group called LEHAVA organized a march in East Jerusalem to “restore Jewish dignity”. LEHAVA Urged people to join, and arm themselves, while they marched through the streets chanting “death to Arabs” and clashed with police as they tried to enter a Palestinian neighbourhood.
The main entrance to the Old City, Damascus Gate is used by Muslims to pray at the revered mosque on Temple Mount, or the al-Aqsa compound as it’s known in Islam.
Additional police forces were deployed to the site, being the scene of many clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police in the past, to brace for what many feared would be a continuation of the violence following prayers as Muslims mark the holy month of Ramadan.
