Leftists and anarchists conducted their usual protests outside the homes of Jews in the Shimon Hatzaddik (Sheikh Jarrah) neighborhood of Jerusalem Friday evening, and as usual threw stones and other objects at Jews walking to and from synagogue.

And on Friday night, their stones hit one of the residents of the area, who was taken to a hospital for treatment – to the guffaws of the leftists looking on.

The injured man, Ya’akov Pauchi, was hit in the head by a rock thrown by members of the “Solidarity With Sheikh Jarrah” group, which for years has been holding protests against Jews living in the area. Pauchi was hit right near the eye, and required several stitches. He was able to return home only hours later. A second individual was treated on the spot, and did not require further treatment at the hospital.

There is a security camera at the site, and Pauchi is hopeful police can track down the person who hit him with the rock.

Residents and frequent guests in the neighborhood said that police have become very lax in their treatment of the rioters in recent months. “This group has been throwing rocks at us for years, and at the beginning police tried to limit their actions,” said one resident. “But in recent weeks police have stopped taking an interest in these protests and as a result the group has gotten much bolder, to the extent that they now feel they can get away with injuring Jews.”

Another resident commented that Friday night’s demonstration was much larger than usual. “The hatred of these leftists showed its true ugliness when they laughed as the injured man was taken to the hospital.”

The land on which the neighborhood stands was purchased by Jews in 1876, with housing built soon after under the aegis of Rabbi Shmuel Salant, chief rabbi of Jerusalem at the time. The Jewish families living there, in proximity to the grave of Rabbi Shimon Hatzaddik [Simon the Just, a member of the Great Assembly of Sages in pre-Mishnaic times] had to leave during the 1948 War of Independence when the area was lost to Jordan. After the Six Day War, Jews returned to the homes, which are legally owned by Jews although occupied by Arab squatters in the interim.

Photos: Sliman Khader/Flash90

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