Self knockout: Jerusalem Municipality teaches young Arabs combat skills

Chelem municipality? Following the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem and the precarious security situation in the city, city council members are demanding of mayor Nir Barkat to stop the budget with which the municipality finances courses in boxing and combat skills for boys of East Jerusalem. Among the neighborhoods where these studies are - Shuafat, Issawiya, A-Tur, Silwan, Jabel Mukaber and Takura, neighborhoods which have bred many murderers, while some have disturbances and riots almost every day.

A month ago, in a debate in the Finance Committee of the Jerusalem Municipality, it was revealed that there are many municipal budget grants to institutions in East Jerusalem for youth courses in combat and boxing. Jerusalem city council member Arye Kenig protested during the meeting on the approval of the budget.

This is a substantial budget, for example, each of the neighborhoods of Silwan, Jabel Mukaber, Shuafat and Issawya are budgeted for 30 weekly hours of studying boxing for 40 students, and 60 hours per week of studying combat skills to 20 members.

In a conversation with Behadrey Haredim, Jerusalem city council member Nahmaniel Saban of Shas says: "We need to revisit the budget transfer of East Jerusalem institutions, to prevent boys from professionalizing in violence. I demand the city to stop the budget, while only recently two terrorists with blue identity cards who teach these courses came out from those areas. We have to prevent these activities."

Another member of the city administration Moshe Leon said to Behadrey Haredim that "it should be emphasized that the problem of security in Jerusalem stems from incitement and loss of deterrent power of the security forces, following the non-implementation of concrete actions of deterrence, including: increased enforcement in Arab neighborhoods, force and injury to the partners of terrorism, initiated operations in Arab neighborhoods and stopping the agitators and terrorists, outlawing the northern Islamic Movement in Jerusalem which finances terrorists and incites to terrorism.

"The Cabinet decision after the holiday regarding the demolition of houses of terrorists in the attack in Har Nof and the attack on the light rail, is an important decision but it comes very late by almost a year. On Independence Day I sent a letter to the Prime Minister to carry out the demolition orders, as we know, he did not respond and nothing was done. This policy of delayed enforcement actions and after a long time are some of the reasons for incapacitation of general deterrence.

"Regarding budgeting of classes, budgeting and all services must be made to the entire population and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the same way. It must be stressed and examined comprehensively all categories of activities funded by the municipality, including the classes of boxing and combat with the professional bodies and the Israel Police."

Jerusalem City Council member Aryeh Kenig said in a conversation with Behadrey HAredim that, "instead of the municipality funding courses in self-defense for Jews who are attacked as part of the project "City without Violence", the municipality teaches youth in the Arab East Jerusalem combat and boxing, I warned about this ahead of time, unfortunately, in the city council I found no sympathetic ear. I warned these skills will be directed against the Jews and government officials: police, municipality and others... I'm really sad that tax moneys are directed there. I demand the city to stop the budgets of these institutions."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!