From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Far-right MKs said planning to visit Damascus Gate, as tensions spiking in East Jerusalem
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Extremist MKs Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir from the Religious Zionism party are planning to visit Damascus Gate this evening, as tensions in East Jerusalem appear to be reaching a boiling point.
Recent days have seen police set up barricades outside the Old City gate in what they say is aimed at preventing crowding during the month of Ramadan, but has been blasted by locals as an insensitive show of force during the holy religious month. The policy has led to consecutive nights of clashes between police and Palestinian residents.
In addition, uproar has grown among the Israeli right over what appears to be a trend on social media in which Arab Israelis film themselves assaulting religious Jews.
אחרי תקיפות היהודים בירושלים בימים האחרונים: חברי הכנסת בצלאל סמוטריץ ואיתמר בן גביר, וסגן ראש עיריית ירושלים אריה קינג, מתכוונים להגיע הערב לשער שכם @carmeldangor
— Suleiman Maswadeh סולימאן מסוודה (@SuleimanMas1) April 18, 2021
The Times of Israel Community.