Israel lobby’s “Death to the Arabs” damage control

Members of Lehava, an Israeli Jewish extremist group, marched near occupied East Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate on 22 April, many chanting “Death to the Arabs.”

 Heidi LevineSipa Press

Ali Abunimah -23 April 2021

Over the last few days, disturbing videos have shown mobs of Israeli Jewish youths rampaging through occupied East Jerusalem and attacking Palestinians.

“Every evening this week, dozens of young Jews walked around Jerusalem’s city center, chanting ‘Death to Arabs’ and attacking passersby with stones and tear gas,” Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The situation escalated further on Thursday, when more than 100 Palestinians were injured as a result of mob violence provoked by the far-right Jewish group Lehava.

On Thursday night, a death-chanting Israeli mob headed for Damascus Gate, a landmark entrance to the walled Old City in occupied East Jerusalem.

One chant reported by Israeli journalist Nir Hasson was Ha’am doresh Aravim ba esh – “The people demand Arabs in the fire.”

As Palestinians gathered to defend the area, some with stones and bottles, Israeli occupation forces fired at them with stun grenades, tear gas and water cannons.

More than 20 Palestinians required treatment in hospital, according to the Red Crescent.

Israeli Jewish mobs reportedly attacked Palestinians across the city and vandalized cars and property.

In the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, settlers attacked a Palestinian woman driving her vehicle with stones, injuring her in the head, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Israeli media reported that one Jewish man was attacked and injured by Palestinians in East Jerusalem who had been banging on his car.

When he got out and tried to flee, according to Haaretz, “Palestinian youths kicked him while he was on the ground.”

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