Knesset Member Itamar Ben Gvir announced Thursday that he will move his parliamentary bureau to the Jerusalem neighborhood of Shimon HaTzadik, also known as the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
החלטתי להעביר את לשכתי הפרלמנטרית לשכונת שמעון הצדיק.
אגיע הערב לשכונה כדי לוודא שהמשטרה תתחיל לטפל במתפרעים, דמם של תושבי שכונת שמעון הצדיק אינו הפקר.
במהלך הימים האחרונים מתנכלים מדי ערב תושבים משייח' ג'ראח לתושבי שכונת שמעון הצדיק, כאשר אמש נפצעו מספר תושבים מידוי אבנים. pic.twitter.com/noBgnnXHNG
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir)
Ben Gvir, chairman of the Otzma Yehudit party and a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said he made the decision to base his Knesset bureau in the neighborhood – a hotbed of anti-Israel activity and the home of more than a few terrorists – because police show “helplessness” in dealing with the harassment of Jewish residents.
“I will come to the neighborhood tonight to ensure that the police start dealing with the rioters,” he said in a statement on Twitter. “The blood of the residents of the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood is not worthless.”
Ben Gvir officially informed the Knesset officer of his office relocation earlier in the day on Thursday.
“In recent days Arab rioters from Sheikh Jarrah have been harassing the Jewish residents of the Shimon HaTzadik,” Ben Gvir said. “Last night, (Wednesday) a number of residents were injured by stone-throwing,” he noted.
This past Saturday night (May 1) Molotov cocktails were hurled by the Arab rioters at the home of Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Aryeh King.
Ben Gvir pointed out at the time that Molotov cocktails – also called “firebombs” – are “capable of killing.” He added that Israelis “must wake up,” and pointed out such attacks might “end in death” the next time around.
“Only the aggravation of punishment and deterrence will bring an end to terrorism,” the MK said.
“We did not imagine that in Israel in 2021 Jewish children will be afraid to roam the streets of Jerusalem freely, Jewish women will be afraid to go for a run, and Jewish homes will be attacked every morning and evening in front of non-accusing police,” Ben Gvir said earlier in the day Thursday.
He promised to arrive in the neighborhood early Thursday evening, “to make sure that the police start dealing with the rioters. The blood of the residents of the Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood is not worthless.”