Jerusalem’s Police confronted Muslim rioters at the Damascus Gate at the entrance to the Old City on Tuesday night and arrested six Muslim suspects for throwing rocks and other objects at police forces, the fourth night that Muslims rioted at the site amid the Ramadan celebrations.
The police stated that again, “while many police officers worked to enable many to mark the month of Ramadan and reach the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount safely, riots began in the area of Sultan Suleiman Street, after dozens of rioters fired fireworks and threw bottles and stones at police officers.”
The six suspects were arrested for disorderly conduct and throwing objects at police officers. Further arrests of rioters who took part in the violence are expected.
The police again underscored that that the rioters were only a “handful who chose to disturb the order, riot and use violence” and “harmed first and foremost a large public of worshipers, merchants, and visitors – the vast majority of whom wanted to celebrate Ramadan in peace and security while maintaining freedom of worship.”
“We will not allow those inciting and violent margins to disrupt order. We call on the public to legally mark the month of Ramadan, obey the instructions of the police and avoid violence and disturbances of any kind,” the police stated.
Security tensions in Israel are high, especially at the Damascus Gate area, after a series of terror attacks in the Jerusalem area, the murder of four Israelis in Be’er Sheva, the murder of another two in Hadera by Islamist terrorists, and the latest attack in Bnei Brak which left five dead, and during the Muslim month of Ramadan, which usually spells an uptick in Muslim violence and acts of terrorism in Israel.
The country’s security establishment is bracing for violence, especially as Ramadan coincides with Passover, and following the first anniversary of Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021, which was launched by the IDF following a Hamas rocket attack on Jerusalem that began at the height of the Month of Ramadan.
