As daily Arab riotous violence continues to engulf the capital city of Jerusalem, police appear to have started enforcing a stricter crackdown on one of the key hotbeds of Arab terrorism - the neighborhood of Issawiya.
Issawiya, located near Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus, has been the source of near daily riots for many long months. It also is the home of Hamas terrorist Ibrahim al-Akari, who last Wednesday murdered two Israelis in an attack in the capital before being shot by security forces.
Now, AFP reports that police closed three of the neighborhood's four entrances with concrete blocks in an attempt to more closely monitor traffic in and out of the violent neighborhood. Residents have appealed the Supreme Court over the closure, and the state is to file its response by next Wednesday
One of the entrances that has been blocked is that leading to the adjacent French Hill neighborhood; in September Arab assailants form Issawiya set a gas station on fire in the Jewish neighborhood in an attempt to blow up the fuel tanks.
In addition, police in coordination with the Jerusalem Municipality are starting to pick up the pace of lax law enforcement in the neighborhood, also concerning such crimes as business and construction violations.
The issue of construction is key, give that there are 40,000 illegal Arab housing units in Jerusalem growing at a pace of 800 per year - as of October a paltry 14 illegal units had been demolished due to the collapse of enforcement.
Police have likewise set up a mobile headquarters at the entrance to Issawiya, backed-up by a surveillance balloon, with officers telling local leaders in Arabic that parents are responsible for keeping their children from rioting.
The stronger hand being seen in Issawiya comes as the IDF gave new orders this week allowing soldiers to open fire when Arab rioters shoot potentially lethal fireworks at them.