Police in Jerusalem on Sunday set up concrete slabs along a 300-meter (around 985 feet) stretch of Meir Nakar Street, which runs between the Jewish neighborhood of Armon Hanatziv and the Arab neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber. The temporary measure is meant to prevent firebomb and rock-throwing attacks committed by Arab rioters from Jabel Mukaber. The slabs are 10 meters (around 33 feet) high. Police said the slabs will be moved around in accordance with operational needs. Gil Schecter, a resident of Armon Hanatziv, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the new measure. "I don't think this will stop attacks, but it will certainly give [residents of Jabel Mukaber] a clue of what's in store for them if they don't stop incitement and rein in the terrorists among them. They have a lot to lose." The Jerusalem Municipality said the purpose of the measure was to "protect lives and property." Regarding claims that the move represented a "division of Jerusalem," a senior Israeli diplomatic official said, "That is utter nonsense. This was not a political decision." The official said police decided to put the slabs in place. "This is a temporary wall that will probably be there for no more than a few days," the official said. Also on Sunday, Transportation and Road Safety Minister Yisrael Katz met with a group of 300 Israel Defense Forces soldiers who have been deployed in Jerusalem to secure the public transportation system in the city. Katz thanked them for their efforts and said, "We will take all necessary actions to protect the citizens of Israel."
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Credit: Reuters
The slabs do not block access to either Armon Hanatziv or Jabel Mukaber, so there is no infringement on freedom of movement.
