BREAKING NEWS: Stabbing in Jerusalem Raises Concerns of New Terror Wave

With the Jewish New Year fast approaching, the stabbing and car ramming that appeared to recede over the last few months have seemingly returned. This morning two border patrolman, one female and one male were seriously injured when an Arab Jihadist stabbed them. The assailant was shot and critically wounded.

Although it appears to be an isolated incident, the number of incidents are on the rise again. Before Shabbat there was an attempted car ramming in Kiryat Arba, thwarted stabbing at Damascus Gate, and a stabbing in the Samaria region.  On Shabbat a Jihadist attacked an Israeli soldier in Hebron, stabbing him lightly before he was shot and killed.

Today’s attack happened by Herod’s Gate near the Flowers Gate, where a renewed Jewish presence is thriving after many years of being Judenrein.  The Flowers Gate area of the Old City was a thriving Jewish area in the middle ages until the crusaders massacred them.

“Police units have cordoned off the area,” Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. “There is heightened security there now, and we are searching for the terrorist’s identity. Police bomb disposal experts are checking the area.”

The government has poured more soldiers into Judea and Samaria to prevent more attacks a repeat of what became known as the stabbing intifada.

 

 

Reclaiming Jerusalem’s Old City

At around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening (October 3, 2015), a knife-wielding Arab attacked Aharon Bennett, his wife Odel, their 2-year-old son and infant who were on their way to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Hearing the screams of help from Odel Bennett, from his apartment window, Rabbi Nehemia Lavi, an Old City resident and IDF reserve officer, didn’t hesitate, and went downstairs from his apartment in Beit Wittenberg (HaGai Street), with his gun, to try and save those wounded by the Arab terrorist in the attack, but the terrorist stabbed him and seized his weapon. Lavi and Bennett, who were stabbed in the upper body and were unconscious when paramedics arrived at the scene, died in hospital shortly afterwards.

Now, over 7 months later, another Jewish acquisition in Jerusalem’s Old City, facilitated by the Ateret Cohanim organization has been approved by legal authorities.

“Arab terror and ongoing Arab incitement and violence, has an aim of  trying to drive Jews out of Jerusalem, to keep Jews away from the Old City, the Temple Mount and even the Kotel, and also intends to weaken the resolve of the Jewish people, especially of the families and students in and around the Old City,” says Daniel Luria, Executive Director of Ateret Cohanim. “However the Arab are mistaken on all fronts. We will not be driven out of “our Jerusalem” and such acts of violence has only strengthened our resolve, strength of conviction, faith and fortitude.”

The building will be home to 3 or 4 Jewish families and some Yeshiva students. There are today over 1000 Jewish residents, including many Yeshiva students, of the old Jewish Quarter,(renamed the Moslem Quarter) in addition to the 4000 Jewish residents of the Jewish Quarter.

The newest acquisition is only a few minutes walk from the site of the murder of Rabbi Lavi and Bennett.  Building and buying in the Old City in areas where Jews were driven out in 1929, 1936-37, and 1948 is not only a powerful and lasting response to ongoing Arab terror, it is the best way to honor the memory of the fallen residents, especially the week of Israeli Memorial Day and Independence Day.

“It’s a spectacular accomplishment and it will hopefully lead to many more in the near future,” adds Rabbi Packer head of the Heritage House. “The Arabs are ready to leave. The question is: Are the Jews ready to take possession of the Land.”