VIDEO: 100 hurt in Jerusalem as Palestinians clash with Jewish supremacists
Israeli police use mounted officers, stun grenades and skunk water to separate opposing groups outside the Damascus Gate
Michael Daventry is Jewish News’s foreign and broadcast editor
Over a hundred people were hurt in clashes in Jerusalem overnight as Israeli police deployed mounted officers and skunk water to separate Palestinians and a group of Jewish supremacists.
The violence broke out after Palestinians confronted 300 members of the anti-Arab group Lehava, who marched to the Old City late on Thursday chanting “death to Arabs”.
Police fired stun grenades and sprayed foul-smelling skunk water to disperse the Palestinians, who threw fireworks at them in response.
Officers on horseback were seen pushing back the far-right Jewish group.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said at least 105 Palestinians were wounded, including 22 who were hospitalised.
An Israeli Jewish man was beaten after he tried to flee from his car as it came under attack in East Jerusalem.
Police said he had been hospitalised but gave no details on his condition.
There have been street battles on most nights in Jerusalem since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan last week, ending several months of relative quiet in the city.
Tensions were inflamed in recent days by footage on social media, including the video-sharing app TikTok, showing Jews and Arabs being assaulted in public.
The march by Lehava to the Damascus Gate was called in what it said was a show of “national honour”, but they were stopped within a few metres of their destination where the Palestinian counter-protest had gathered.
Both sides had rallied their supporters to the scene using social media channels.
Police said it pushed back Palestinian protesters to ensure Muslim worshippers had safe access to the al Aqsa mosque on the Old City’s Temple Mount for Friday prayers.
Officials had earlier said they would permit the Lehava march “in the name of freedom of expression, but we will take action against any form of violence”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
