Al Aqsa Mosque on the day after the riots and clashes, April 5, 2023/documentation on social networks according to Article 27 A of the Copyright Law
Two weeks into Ramadan, and the fear of unrest in view of the intentions to limit the ascent of Israeli Arabs to the Temple Mount preoccupies mainly the security officials in the IDF and Shin Bet. The attempts to stir up the area, every Friday since the outbreak of the war, are not very successful. Apart from occasional frictions in East Jerusalem between Arabs and the police, The relative calm was maintained.
Postponing the decision-making on the issue of restrictions on the ascent of Muslim worshipers to the Temple Mount until the 90th minute has become a regular pattern in recent years among decision-makers, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Last year, against the backdrop of an escalation in Palestinian terrorism, the Defense Cabinet was required to decide whether to allow Entry of Palestinians from Judea and Samaria to the Temple Mount Finally, a day before the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the holy month of Ramadan fell, and thousands of Palestinians were allowed to enter through the security crossings around Jerusalem to pray on the Temple Mount, on the recommendation of security officials that this would lead to calm in the area.
Try to avoid such pictures.
Police confront worshipers on the Temple Mount/Reuters
In practice, for a week hundreds of Arabs rioted in the mountain area, and every night police forces broke into the mountain area after they were attacked with stones and objects by the rioters and barricaded themselves in mosques until they were arrested by the police.
These riots were widely covered in the Arab world, but a few days later calm was achieved in the mountain area, with the arrest and removal of the rioters.
In the meantime, the police are keeping a thunderous silence when it comes to the attribution scenarios we expect this month, as well as the recommendations they presented at security meetings, and most importantly, restrictions of various outlines aimed specifically at some of Israel's Arabs.
The over-preoccupation with proposals for these restrictions pushed aside an equally burning and sensitive issue, which is whether Palestinians from Judea and Samaria will be allowed to enter the Temple Mount this year, after half a year since the October 7 massacre and the almost hermetically sealed closure of Palestinian laborers crossing the Green Line.
The IDF and the Shin Bet will be required to decide on this issue, when the opposition to it is broader for security reasons, given the massacre in Otef.
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align with him?
Shabtai and Ben Gvir/image processing, Flash 90
While the operational preparations for the month of Ramadan are being completed, the deployment of thousands of police officers and the reinforcement of security circles around the Old City and the Temple Mount, there are those who are warning Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai of unrest in the field, if the organization does not clarify how the police will operate in this month and whether there will be restrictions on Muslim immigrants "We warn against a possible flare-up following irresponsible conduct, both in the territory itself and in racist and/or Islamophobic statements.
The police must act to calm the spirits," demand the organization "Abraham Initiatives". In a letter they sent yesterday (Wednesday) to Commissioner Shabtai, they wrote: "We demand that clear instructions be established regarding the conduct of the police in Jerusalem towards the believers, and that these instructions be passed on to every police officer in the field. It must be emphasized that The right to worship is a fundamental right to which all citizens of the country are entitled, and the role of the police is to enable this."
"As long as there is a legal decision on the limitation of prayer (for example, number, age or gender) in the mosque, it is the responsibility of the police to publish clear information in advance to the public in order to prevent disappointment and frustration among believers who will come to Jerusalem, but their entry to the mosque will be prevented."
Always waiting for the 90th minute.
Netanyahu/Flash 90, Yonatan Zindel
The Commissioner of Police faces a difficult dilemma. On the one hand, the determined position of Minister-in-Charge Itamar Ben Gabir to impose restrictions on the ascent of worshipers from among Israeli Arabs to the mountain and the desire to please and align with him. And on the other hand, the warnings of the IDF and the Shin Bet against conflagration, not only in Jerusalem , but across the country, this alongside the police's preparedness in case riots break out. The sights of the Guardian of the Walls being disturbed in 2021, the anarchy that prevailed under his command in the mixed cities, Saturn prefers to push. Now he will have to decide how the police's position will be presented in the discussions in the next two weeks in front of the decision makers.
From the Israel Police It was reported:
"We are sorry that on a sensitive and complex subject which is being discussed in classified discussions at the political level and no decisions have yet been made on the matter, there are parties who are voicing positions that are not clear on what they are based on and in order to damage the process and inflame the spirits.
We will emphasize, the Israel Police will present its official positions to the political echelon and not through the media and will continue to do everything in its power to maintain the balance between freedom of worship and public peace and security."
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