Neglect, provocation feed East Jerusalem unrest

[Israeli]

SUMMARY

Coping with the growing violence requires more than increased policing in East Jerusalem, where discrimination and neglect deprive residents of infrastructure, education and services.
AUTHOR
Shlomi Eldar
POSTED
October 24, 2014

Excerpt.....

It is no coincidence that the terrorist who murdered the baby was from the Silwan neighborhood. If the events of the past few months can be defined as an urban insurrection, Silwan is the main focal point of the violence.

“The terrorist from Silwan may have done what he did regardless of events in the neighborhood,” said Yehudit Oppenheimer, executive director of the Ir Amim Association, which promotes equality between Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem and a political-diplomatic settlement.

“But keep in mind that for several months now, there is a process going on, where right-wing Jewish NGOs are coming into the neighborhood,” she told Al-Monitor. “Their people have been stirring up the atmosphere and causing unrest and great tension with the Arab residents.

“NGOs like Lehava, El’ad and Ateret Cohanim buy houses in sensitive, even strategic, areas of the neighborhood. Even when the purchase is legal, members of these NGOs move into the houses with great fanfare and parades, irritating the Arab residents with provocations, that here they come to ‘Jewify’ Arab Silwan.

“Well-known right-wing activists also come into the neighborhoods. After being banned from the territories by Shin Bet because of their involvement in price-tag activities, they have transferred their activities to Jerusalem. Things there are about to explode.”

Source: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/east-jerusalem-violence-discrimination-neglect-education.html

[Jefferson23]

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