Israeli security forces at the scene where a man was shot dead after trying to take an officers weapon in Jerusalem Old City, April 1, 2023.(Flash90/Jamal Awad)
Businesses, schools, shops, and municipal services in Arab towns will be suspended for the remainder of the day in protest of the shooting of Arab man who grabbed officer’s gun.
By World Israel News Staff
Arab communities throughout Israel are launching a general strike and tens of thousands are expected to participate in mass protests following the shooting death of a Bedouin-Israel who grabbed a police officer’s gun on the Temple Mount.
Mohammed Elasibi, from the southern town of Hura, grabbed a police officer’s gun and fired off two rounds during a scuffle with security officers late Friday evening in the Old City of Jerusalem, police said.
“I felt our lives were in real danger. If I hadn’t tackled him, shot him and neutralized him, he would have shot me, my partner and the Border Police cops,” said an officer involved in the shooting, identified by the initial Y., said in a statement.
A female officer, identified as L., said that Elasibi “aimed the gun at my head” and that she ducked in order to avoid being shot as he fired the weapon, near the Chain Gate entrance to the Temple Mount.
“If the policeman hadn’t shot and neutralized him, we wouldn’t be here,” M., a witness, said in a statement.
Elasibi’s family and Arab activists have claimed that the 26-year-old was gunned down “in cold blood” by police, though they have offered no evidence or reasoning for that claim.
The Bedouin municipalities of Hura, Rahat, and Tel Sheva announced that they are launching a general strike, which will begin at noon on Sunday. Other Arab municipalities in Israel are expected to follow suit.
Businesses, schools, shops, and municipal services will be suspended for the remainder of the day in protest of the shooting.
Late Saturday evening, a major highway near Hura was temporarily blocked by demonstrators from the town.
Tens of thousands are expected to participate in a protest march following Elasibi’s funeral, though it’s unclear when the burial will take place.
At his family’s request, Elasibi’s body is currently being held at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, pending an autopsy.
The shooting came during the Ramadan holiday period, which often sees an uptick in terror attacks and security tensions.
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