Jerusalem’s Mayor pledges to combat rioting as violence continues to rise – but critics say local authorities not doing enough.
By Ido Ben-Porat, Tova Dvorin, INN
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat addressed Jerusalem’s “silent intifada” on Thursday night, urging that he will take a hard line against Arab rioters, who have been throwing Molotov cocktails and fireworks at police and civilians.
“I want to clarify this decisively: a heavy and uncompromising hand should be taken against anyone who does violence of any kind,” Barkat stated on his Facebook page. “We will not accept a situation where we see throwing stones or Molotov cocktails at the light rail, at Jewish homes in eastern Jerusalem or any other kind of violence.”
It is unacceptable that police arrest rioters only to have them released in a “revolving door” by the court, said Barkat.
“We have to step up and create a deterrent, a punishment to let [rioters] know – anyone who thinks they can take the law into their own hands will be caught and will pay a heavy price,” Barkat urged.
Barkat said that the police are making great efforts in recent months to, as he put it, eradicate terrorism completely.
“More than 700 rioters have been arrested and hundreds of indictments have been filed,” Barkat stated. “The municipality is, and will continue to, assist and respond to every police request until it is defeated.”
Barkat also said that the local Arab leadership neighborhoods have been cooperating with police.
“I am pleased that the Arab leadership, along with the vast majority of the population, has strongly condemned the violence being carried out – mostly by teenagers. Everyone should know that [violence] will be punished severely,” he said.
“I am in constant contact with the Prime Minister [Binyamin Netanyahu] on the subject, and the commissioner of Police [Yohanan Danino -ed],” Barkat continued. “They take the issue seriously and have expanded their copingstrategies to be more effective and faster.”
“This is not the place to elaborate on that,” he added, “but those who continue to behave violently will be apprehended quickly and pay a heavy price.”
According to Barkat, the true aim of the rioting is to disrupt a general sense of security in the capital city.
“[They want us to] cancel the cultural events in Jerusalem, to vacate hotels, to hurt [our] business revenue in the city, to scare commuters and stop the train from running,” he said. “We will not give them that pleasure. The answer to this is insisting to continue our routine, while stepping up police work, fully addressing any disturbances and reporting them.”
“The city will continue to function, the train will continue to run, and even more so the police will continue to keep Jerusalem safe,” he concluded.
Attacks have risen exponentially in recent months in Jerusalem, in a phenomenon dubbed “the silent intifada” that has been quickly spiraling out of control with lynch-mobs and even live gunfire.
While over 600 arrests were reportedly made since rioting first began in July, a tolerance for escalating unrest has grown, and a recent expose revealed that some rioters – who are being encouraged to throw fireworks and other dangerous materials at police – are as young as nine years old.
On Wednesday, hundreds of frustrated Jerusalemites staged a protest against the tolerance of the unrest, claiming Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beytenu) is personally responsible for the escalation of crime.
Many dissenters have also held Barkat responsible for the crime as well, after the mayor was found to have pushed for the expansion of Arab neighborhoods in the capital while ignoring ongoing illegal Arab construction.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
I’m the last guy who needs convincing.
I’ve been onto PeePee NetanYoYO for years since the middle of his first term of office around the middle of 1998.
I haven uttered a good word about him since. Yet to find any thing positive to say about him
@ yamit82:
Rule of thumb…
Anything done by Netanyahu and in particular if Livni is also involved, IT will ALWAYS be UNKOSHER.
@ yamit82:
Don Netanyahu’s rumba and mambo dances remind me of the Rio’s Carnaval time honored procedure to camouflage intent and entrap suckers.
As the huge groups slowly drift down the Carnaval drive, their band play terrific tunes and expert, professionals entice the weak minded in the crowd to come on down and join the fun.
The objective is to have the fellow engulfed in a storm of sexual provocations while they hip bump him into the center of dancing gang. By the time they release the sucker he will be clean of credit cards, cash, rings, watch, etc. He never knew what happened.
I bet Netanyahu plays Mambo No. 5 in those el cabinete meetings. Now he makes nice faces, now he frowns, now he delays, now he gets urgent. At the end of the dance… the suckers are completely… Netanyahu fooled one and all again.
This SOB was chosen for a reason and it was not his militaru acumen.
IDF Central Commander Alon Discriminates Against Jews?
Jewish teen arrested breaching distancing order from Judea home; Arab woman in Ramallah suspected of terror let off for same breach.
Feiglin: Zoabi Isn’t the Problem, the Supreme Court Is
MK Feiglin objects to the police investigation against MK Zoabi, reminds that the Supreme Court allowed her to run for the Knesset.
Same court banned Kahane!!! It appears Some Pigs in Israel are more equal than others. Must be some form of AFFIRMATIVE ACTION????
New Supreme Court Judges: Mazuz and Baron
Menachem Mazuz was Attorney General during the Gaza Disengagement and the Katzav case.
Likud Whip Pans ‘Unkosher’ Appointment of New High Court Judges
MKs and Ministers on the right and left have begun weighing in on the appointments of new judges to the High Court Sunday.
@ bernard ross:
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Vote on Keeping Gush Etzion Inside Security Fence Postponed
Decision on controversial barrier pushed to next week; nationalists hope the move will give the government time to reconsider.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
@ bernard ross:
Regional Head Slams Plans for Bedouin Town on Jewish Land
ICA’s plans to build Bedouin town near Jericho on Jewish areas of Judea-Samaria ‘steal state lands,’ Regional Council head fumes.
@ bernard ross:Bingo! Flim Flam experts. TV faces with an easy flow of hot air to complement that. Electing such item is suicidal and on that we are the experts.
Is Barkat another empty suit like BB and Yaalon, always taking about what they are going to do but never doing it?
Orders for betrayal of Jewish rights and security come directly from the chief panderer to that end. Netanyahu.
Nekudah.