The snow that fell in Jerusalem Thursday morning presented dangers to motorists in areas, with the icy conditions making for treacherous driving for Jews and Arabs alike.
But Muslim extremists found a way to make use of the snow to threaten Jewish drivers specifically - by coating the rocks they threw at vehicles driven by Jews. Throwing rocks at Jews has become a daily pastime for Muslim youths in certain neighborhoods in the capital in recent years.
Two hareidim who drove through the Beit Hanina neighborhood in northern Jerusalem thought that the white projectiles being hurled at their car were snowballs, and were surprised when they came crashing through their window.
When they subsequently inspected the car they realized that the “snowballs” were rocks packed in snow. As they looked at the damage, they were again attacked by Muslims in what apparently was a planned ambush. They managed to escape without injury and filed a police complaint.
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich (Likud-Beytenu) promised Wednesday to put an end to the harassment of Jews in Jerusalem. Aharonovich was responding to a question by MK Orit Struk (Jewish Home), in which he was challenged over a sharp increase in anti-Semitic attacks by Arab extremists in the capital.
"We have to stop the phenomenon - and it will stop," Aharonovich assured MK Struk, adding that he was coordinating with the Jerusalem District police to ensure a crackdown on the violence, which has included potentially-fatal mob-attacks and rock-throwing at cars and buses.
"Both incidents in which Jews attack Arabs and those in which Arabs attack Jews must be investigated," he declared.
A year ago, a group of Arabs harassed two young hareidi men with snowballs, chasing and kicking them. The scene was videotaped by a participant and reminded many of anti-Semitic Jew-baiting in Nazi Germany – because of the brazen nature of the attack and the helpless response of the Jews.
A year ago, a group of Arabs harassed two young hareidi men with snowballs, chasing and kicking them. The scene was videotaped by a participant and reminded many of anti-Semitic Jew-baiting in Nazi Germany – because of the brazen nature of the attack and the helpless response of the Jewish victims.