Two residents from east Jerusalem, aged 18 and 20, were arrested on Monday in
connection with a stabbing attack next to the Shimon Hatzadik tomb in east
Jerusalem on Thursday evening. A haredi man was stabbed next to the tomb and
moderately injured during the incident.
The tomb is located in the Sheikh
Jarrah neighborhood of east Jerusalem, which is also known by its Hebrew name
Shimon Hatzadik, in honor of the tomb belonging to Simon the Just. The area
around the tomb has been the site of various conflicts after three Arab families
were evicted from their homes in 2009 and right-wing Jewish families moved into
those homes.
The two suspects were not previously known to police, but
the police believe the attack was carried out with nationalistic motives. Police
investigators are examining whether the two suspects are involved in additional
incidents.
Police had arrested two other Arab suspects after carrying out large-scale searches of the area, but they were later released after questioning.