The police have granted permission to nationalist grassroots leaders Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel to hold a protest march in the neighborhood of Shiloach (Silwan) in eastern Jerusalem.
Major-General Aharon Franco, Commander of the Jerusalem District, allowed the march on the condition that it be limited in time and that the number of marchers will not exceed 70.
'Sanctimonious hypocrites'
Ben Gvir explained the planned march's message Thursday, saying that “the 216 illegal Arab houses [in Shiloach] are subject to the same law as the homes that are destroyed every day in our outposts. There will be no discrimination in Israel. We say to all the sanctimonious hypocrites who call themselves 'warriors for the rule of law' – if you are so concerned about the law, start tearing down Arab houses.”
The Chief Prosecutor has demanded that the Jerusalem Municipality carry out a High Court order to evict Jews from Beit Yehonatan, a Jewish-owned building in Shiloach. However, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said that enforcement had to be applied to Arab illegal housing as well, and noted that Beit Yehonatan was surrounded by more than 200 illegal Arab-owned structures.
Provocation?
Asked if the planned march was not a provocation, Ben Gvir replied: “I did not hear the word 'provocation' when the radical leftists demonstrated at Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood last week; I did not hear the word 'provocation' in the gay pride parades in Jerusalem; it is interesting that only when we want to exercise our freedom of expression, the entire Left suddenly jumps and shouts.”
Marzel and Ben Gvir marched at the outskirts of the Arab city of Umm El Fahm last year, together with several dozen supporters. Arabs reacted violently, throwing rocks at the marchers and the police forces guarding them.