(IsraelNN.com) At least 13 Jews were arrested Sunday in Jabel Mukaber, in southern Jerusalem, after nationalist protesters entered the village to try and tear down the home of the terrorist who murdered eight yeshiva boys 10 days ago. Some time after 8:00 P.M., the police declared the demonstration illegal and dispersed the protesters.
One police officer was very lightly hurt.
There was damage to property inside the village, including cars and homes.
The events began after 5:00 P.M., when hundreds of nationalist Jews gathered at the Armon HaNatziv promenade with the intent of entering Jabel Mukaber and tearing down the house of the terrorist who murdered the Mercaz Harav yeshiva students.
'The Arab enemy within us'
The placards announcing the protest were directed against "Israeli Arabs" and said: "The Arab enemy within us, in Lod, Akko and Wadi Ara, and in Jerusalem, supports and encourages murder of Jews."
They added: "In the face of the state authorities' inaction, we shall come ourselves and do what needs
Several dozen Jews managed to go around the police roadblocks and enter the village.
to be done as representatives of the People of Israel." They ended with a Purim allusion: "The opposite shall happen: the Jews shall control their haters."
Meir Indor, who heads the Almagor terror victims' group, was among those arrested at Jabel Mukaber. He said: "Tonight's activities showed that if the government of Israel refuses to strike back at the enemy after terrorist attacks, the people of Israel will. The ongoing policy of surrender and concessions is what invites these terrorist attacks against us."
Youths smashed widshields
Ahead of the protest, hundreds of police took up positions within Jabel Mukaber and outside it, in the hope of preventing the demonstrators from entering the village. They also blocked the entrance to the adjacent Jewish neighborhood of Nof Tzion.
However, several dozen Jews managed to go around the police roadblocks and enter the village. They did not reach the home of the terrorist, Ala Abu Dheim, but they did reach some houses on the outskirts of the village. Video aired on Channel 2 TV showed a group of about a dozen youths throwing rocks at cars and at a home, and smashing car windshields with what seemed to be metal bars.
'The State must destroy his house.'
Among the protesters were Rabbi Elyakim Levanon of Elon Moreh in Samaria and Rabbi Dudi Dudkevich of Yitzhar. Holding a megaphone, Dudkevich told the gathered: "These Arabs are supposedly 'our' Arabs, but they are no less dangerous [than those in Judea and Samaria] and their home must be destroyed. The Arabs in this village celebrated the murder and the State of Israel must destroy the terrorist's house."
"The Arabs in this village celebrated the murder and the State of Israel must destroy the terrorist's house."
A Magen David Adom paramedic by the name of Yosef told Arutz7 reporter Ezra HaLevi that Arabs were throwing rocks at Jews on a massive scale, and the police were not doing anything against the Arabs.
HaLevi said that plainclothes police were on the scene in large numbers and making arrests.
Police on horseback were also deployed against the Jewish protesters. The police donned full riot gear, confronted the Jews with force and made arrests. Police also said some of the Jews threw detonators at them.
In the end, near 9:00 P.M., the Jews who were not shoved into police vans prayed, sang Purim songs and dispersed.