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. (© 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 04/24/12)