Several hundred people gathered in front of the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem Wednesday evening to demonstrate over the murders of three Israeli teens and one Arab teen.

The protesters chanted, ‘End the violence and racism,’ and “Don’t let extremists dictate dialogue in Israel.’

Arabs rioted in nearly every Jerusalem neighborhood in which they live on Wednesday, violently destroying Light Rail stops, hurling rocks at Israeli police officers along with ignited fireworks, Molotov cocktails and just about anything else they could get their hands on. They lit tires on fire and sent them whirling into the roads and alleyways, and piled heaps of garbage and trash in the streets, bashing windows of cars they identified as belonging to Jews.

Likewise, Jewish teens demonstrated in other areas, with some chanting “Death to Arabs.” One in downtown Jerusalem attempted to attack an Arab worker at a local restaurant; three others attacked a Bedouin also working in the capital. All were arrested. No injuries were reported in either incident.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu underlined earlier in the day that Israel is a “nation of laws and everyone must act according to the law.” He urged Public Security Minister Yitzchak Aharonovich to push police to work as quickly as possible to find those responsible for the murder of 17 year old Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir.

Border Police and Jerusalem District Police had their hands full late Tuesday afternoon trying to stop a demonstration by Jewish protesters determined to reach the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site.

Arab police officers questioned and detained kipa-wearing Jews at the Jaffa Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem on Yom HaAtzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day ahead of a scheduled march demanding Israel reestablish its sovereignty on the Temple Mount. No provocation was apparent prior to the questioning and arrests.

Police also confiscated signs the group held without even looking to see what they said, according to an eyewitness who watched as the Jews gathered for a march to the Temple Mount.

As the march began from Jaffa Gate, the group of 25 protesters was not permitted to march through the Arab souk (market) in order to prevent violent protests by Arab shopkeepers. Instead, police funnelled the group southward through the Armenian and Jewish Quarters as they chanted, “Lo Niten Et Ha Bayit L’Oyev” (“We won’t give the Temple to an enemy”) and “Ha am doresh et ha har l’ishachrer,” (“The People demand the liberation of the Temple Mount”)

“Yesterday we marked Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) (for fallen Israeli soldiers). Today is a day of mourning for Israel’s independence,” one of the activists told The Jewish Press.

As the group moved through the Jewish Quarter, most bystanders looked on with mild curiosity, but one group of observers – members of the radical leftist Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) looked on with clear distaste. The group, comprised of foreign nationals who volunteer to support Palestinian Arab aggressors against IDF troops, believes the Temple Mount should belong solely to Muslims.

“The Temple Mount does not belong to Jews,” members of the group told The Jewish Press bluntly they believed the

JP: “I just want to understand correctly – are you saying that Muslims should have freedom of religion in Israel but that Jews should not have freedom of religion in the Palestinian and Arab world?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” said the EAPPI activist, who refused to give her name and would not allow her photograph to be taken.

Temple Mount activist Noam Federman told protesters that Israel must liberate the site, not only in order to rebuild the Holy Temple but also to make clear – to Jews and Arabs alike – that Israel is the sovereign power in Jerusalem, and has no intention of changing that reality.

As the parade wound its way through the Jewish Quarter towards the Arab souk next to the Temple Mount, more than a dozen Border Police and Jerusalem police officers formed a human chain at the corner of the souk and HaKotel Street, several hundred meters to the west of Cotton Merchants Gate, in order to prevent marchers from proceeding towards the Temple Mount.  After a 20 minute standoff and a tense service for the afternoon Mincha prayer, protesters clashed with police, who proceeded to force the gathering south towards the Kotel plaza.

No injuries were reported, but Israel News reporters that four individuals were arrested.

Protesters who plan to demonstrate today at the world’s largest shofar-blowing event in history in New York City have drawn praise from the Israeli government coalition chairman, who expressed his admiration for their “courage.”

Israeli government coalition chairman MK Yariv Levin  is “deeply moved” by demonstrators who are to gather to protest participation in the Israel Day Parade of groups promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

In a letter sent to Richard Allen, founder of JCCWatch – organizer of the rally being held in New York – Levin praised the rally, set for Tuesday April 29 at  5 pm, “courageous stance of so many friends of Israel involved in the parade, calling to delegitimize those who delegitimize Israel.

“It is not logical or reasonable for Israel supporters to condone or overlook or indirectly cooperate with BDS groups which represent the antithesis of support for Israel. Refusing to recognize the State of Israel’s sovereign right to develop and maintain an independent legal position on any issue of national importance is not legitimate.”

The UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) which sponsors the annual Israel Day Parade, agreed this year to permit a number of anti-Israel groups to march this year in the parade, setting off a tsunami of protest over their participation. Among those  are:

• Partners for Progressive Israel: which encourages the public to boycott Ahava Cosmetics, SodaStream and wine from nine Israeli vineyards.
• The New Israel Fund: which finances NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that promote BDS activities against Israel. NIF funds Machsom Watch, the Coalition of Women for Peace, Women Against violence, Social TV and Mossawa, all of which signed a letter to the Norwegian government pension fund, urging it to divest from Israel.
• B’Tselem: A major recipient of funds from NIF, the group has produced the anti-israel video shown at Israel Apartheid Week events held at various universities around the world. The organization’s board chairman, Oren Yiftachel, has publicly called for “effective sanctions” against Israel.

The rally, promoted as the “largest shofar blowing event in Jewish history,” is set to take place this afternoon (April 29) at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (New York City) in front of the UJA-Federation building at 130 East 59th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. Participants are urged to bring their shofars to the rally. Those who do not have a shofar but who wish to participate can receive one to use on site.

Scheduled speakers include Rabbi David Algaze from the World Committee for the Land of Israel / Havurat Yisrael; Richard Allen, JCCWatch; Dr. Paul Brody of the Jewish Political Education Foundation; Helen Freedman of Americans for a Safe Israel; Beth Gilinsky of National Conference on Jewish Affairs; Mort Klein, head of Zionist Organization of America; Robert Muchnick of Manhigut Yehudit, and Lauri Regan of Endowment for Middle East Truth.

Hundreds of thousands of Haredim shut down the entrance to Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon, protesting against the bill that would allow the government to put Haredi (Ultra Orthodox) draft dodgers in jail.

The protest was a peaceful one. The organizers called on participants to not join the army under any circumstances.

According to the organizers, Women in Green, the eyes of the world will be upon the Pollard demo, this Sunday, February 23, at 6 PM, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, 81 Herbert Samuel Street (on the promenade).

“This is the first official Pollard demo in front of the US Embassy. Your presence is needed to ensure that, with God’s help, it will also be the last.”

• Stand up for a just cause, the release of Jonathan Pollard, after 29 years of affliction in American prisons for his service to Israel
• Contribute to absolute Jewish unity on this issue and on the many Jewish and Israeli issues that Pollard’s case represents
• Show the kind of solidarity that will ultimately define not only Pollard’s fate, but the fate of Israel

The caption to this picture, presumably written by the Palestinian photographer, goes:

Palestinians watch as exploding tear gas canisters fall from the sky during clashes at a protest against the expansion of the nearby Jewish settlement of Halamish, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah on January 24, 2014. Photo by Issam Rimawi/Flash90

We’re learning the Book of Joshua in my shul, between Mincha and Maariv on Mondays, and so I quickly grasped the historical significance of the phrase: Palestinians watch as exploding tear gas canisters fall from the sky.

A mysterious hand threw gas canisters on these Arabs from the sky, on Shabbat, as they were trying to thwart Jewish life in the Jewish promised land – I say it’s a sign.

On Friday afternoon, dozens of Israelis protested the ongoing terrorism on road 60 near the Arab village of Beit Omar.

The road is the main highway connecting Hebron, Gush Etzion and Jerusalem. There have been a tremendous number of stone throwings and firebombs against Israeli drivers on this section of the road.

The mayor of Gush Etzion participated in the protest, which involved dancing and singing “Am Yisrael Chai”.