The Arabs are expected to try to challenge Israel on Jerusalem Day. There is no date or Muslim element that has not tried in recent months to provoke Israel and test its determination and reactions. Hezbollah in the north; Hamas in the south; Terrorists from organizations under varying branding in Judea and Samaria, inspired by Islamist incitement with an Iranian or local address.
The days of Ramadan are over, and in two and a half weeks Jerusalem Day will be over. In the Arab calendar, this is Naksa Day, or the day of defeat as translated into Hebrew. Israel has turned this into the day of the liberation of Jerusalem, and the Arab struggle is no longer about the honor trampled on in 2017, but is focused on trying to ignite a fire in the heart of the country.
Two years ago, many such days and provocative activity in Sheikh Jarrah ignited Operation Guardian of the Walls, with all the severe consequences in cities such as Lod, Acre, Jaffa and more.
Israel is approaching this fixed date with a sense of relative calm in the security sphere. The treatment of Jerusalem Day, centered on the flag parade, is a masterpiece of balancing. Advance warnings and warnings accompanied by threats and conditions are part of the terrorist strategy.
IDF soldiers in front of the fence, photo: AFP
The growing tension in the preceding period, encouraged by the media, acts as a war of nerves, and is no less beneficial to the terrorist organizations than the actual violence, should it take place on Jerusalem Day. The less the Temple Mount compound is in the picture, the more likely it is that the flag parade will pass safely.
The government, and thus the current government is no different from past governments, cannot give up on the event that has become the national political focus of Jerusalem Day - the Flag Parade. If in the past today's center of gravity was Ammunition Hill, where in 1967 36 paratroopers fell in the campaign to liberate the city, for quite a few years now the focus has shifted to the Western Wall and the parade that passes through the Muslim Quarter.
Dividing Jerusalem is no longer on the agenda. It turns out that moving the American embassy to Jerusalem closed the issue, despite the fact that Washington currently has a leftist administration that is not very friendly to Israel. In order for this day to pass peacefully this year, not only is it necessary to make appropriate security preparations, which the police and Shin Bet know how to carry out well, but also the proper behavior of the participants in the flag parade.
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir (archive), photo: Yoav Dudkiewicz
A government in which Ben-Gvir is public security minister will not be able to concede on any issue in Jerusalem, but Ben-Gvir will be able to demand that the march participants treat the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem with respect. They should be seen as actual citizens of Israel, even if not on paper. It is likely that the Palestinians' very desire to challenge Ben-Gvir and demonstrate that they are not afraid will cause friction.
So if the consultant Gali Bahar-Miara and the organizers of the road riots do not insist on making trouble, and if the sun smiles, it will be possible to paraphrase the words of the warrior from Jerusalem, all we want to do is return home safely.
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