Ultra-Orthodox Youths Riot in Jerusalem, Attack Arab Man and Police

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox youths rioted in Jerusalem early Tuesday morning following a religious gathering for Rabbi Shalom Arush. The unrest, which began around 3 a.m. near Bar Lev Boulevard, involved blocking the light rail, throwing objects at police officers, and rocking a police vehicle. The violence later spread towards Damascus Gate, where an Arab man was seen being attacked by several individuals, thrown to the ground, and kicked while shouting, "We are killing Arabs here!".

The religious gathering itself proceeded without incident, but a brawl erupted within the compound at some point, involving individuals associated with the "Shuvu Bonim" community and others from central Israel and Ramla. The disturbances outside the venue lasted for approximately two hours, from 3 a.m. until around 5 a.m.

Police dispersed the rioters using crowd-control measures. During the clashes, a municipal vehicle was damaged, and one Border Police officer sustained minor injuries. A total of 11 suspects were arrested.

This incident is part of a series of disturbances in the Bar Lev and Bar Ilan area related to light rail construction. Last month, clashes occurred between extremist Haredim and police, involving object throwing, setting trash cans ablaze, and damaging construction equipment. Sources involved in the project estimate cumulative damages from vandalism and riots in the area over recent years to be in the hundreds of millions of shekels.