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Neglect, provocation feed East Jerusalem unrest

Coping with the growing violence requires more than increased policing in East Jerusalem, where discrimination and neglect deprive residents of infrastructure, education and services.
A Palestinian walks in the neighbourhood of Silwan in Arab East Jerusalem March 4, 2009. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised Israel on Wednesday over plans to demolish Palestinian homes in Arab East Jerusalem and said Washington would engage Israeli leaders on Jewish settlements. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM) - RTXCCF2

After the hit-and-run terrorist attack in Jerusalem on Oct. 22, in which 3-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun was killed and eight other Israelis were wounded, Minister of Internal Security Yitzhak Aharonovich said, “I don’t discern an intifada, but rather difficult events that must be stopped. … Calm must be restored to the city.”

Since the July 2 murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, 16, from Jerusalem’s Shuafat neighborhood by a group of young Jewish men, the city has been rocked by unrest. In addition to the daily clashes in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem between young Arab men and Israeli police, two deadly attacks have been carried out by what police describe as “lone” terrorists.

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