Demolitions during the holy Muslim month in previous years have frequently set off violence between east Jerusalem residents and the security forces. The ex-police officers said that they too were joining the weekly mass protests against the government, describing their action as “saving the police from Ben-Gvir.”
Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, has apparently clashed with both the prime minister and the country’s Police Commissioner, Kobi Shabtai, over his demand to step up the home demolitions. The premier has reportedly asked Ben-Gvir to show restraint, fearing international backlash if high-profile demolitions were to take place.
According to the Times of Israel, Ben-Gvir is urging police to get even tougher on the weekly demonstrations, sanctioning “brutal” reprisals against the protesters. People were allegedly sprayed with water cannon and stun grenades, with some women in their 70s complaining that days after the protest, they were still trying to clean their hair and eyes from the chemicals used.
