Palestinian Authority Arabs rioted in the capital and hurled firebombs at Israelis Monday in what appears to be the start of a third wave of the ‘Oslo War,’ or what the Arabs refer to as an “intifada.”
In Jerusalem, Arab rioters threw large, sharp-edged rocks and firebombs – Molotov cocktails – at Border Police officers in the A-Tur neighborhood. Most of the rioters were Arabs who are eligible to vote in Palestinian Authority elections, although some also carry the blue Israeli identity cards that entitles them to all the privileges of any other Israeli citizen.
Five of the rioters were arrested, and police were eventually forced to resort to using anti-riot measures in order to control the violent mob.
Earlier in the day, a vehicle with Israeli license plates was damaged by rocks hurled by Arabs as the driver traveled past the Gilo area, south of Jerusalem. No one was physically injured, although the experience was traumatic. IDF soldiers were dispatched to the scene of the attack.
Last Tuesday, a mob of PA Arabs repeatedly ambushed drivers traveling along Highway 60 as they passed the center of Beit Ummar, a village in Judea located between Gush Etzion and Kiryat Arba-Hevron. One particularly vicious attack that day was photographed by an Associated Press photographer and the victim, Zehava Weiss, shared the details of her experience with Arutz Sheva.
Video footage of the repeated ambushes was filmed, and a gaggle of photographers was also seen eagerly racing to get good shots of the lethal attacks, which appeared to further encourage the attackers. No IDF soldiers or any other security forces were visible, although it is unclear why, since an Israeli “pillbox” military guard post is located right next to the site of the attack.