It has become an almost daily ritual on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which is sacred to both Jews and Muslims: Palestinians throwing stones, firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and the wounded being evacuated. It happened again this Friday albeit slightly less severe than a week earlier. Nevertheless, at least 31 Palestinians were injured, the local Red Crescent said.
The violence reflects the increased tension between Israel and the Palestinians. This was already apparent earlier this week from the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip by Hamas towards Israel. They are the largest since the short war that Israel and Hamas fought last spring. As usual, Israel responded immediately with attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip, including a factory where weapons were allegedly made. As far as is known, there were no deaths on either side in these actions.
Many of the more than 100,000 Palestinians who came to pray at the Al Aqsa mosque on Friday carried the green flags of Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization. “We are the men of Muhammed Deif,” some chanted, referring to the man who leads the armed wing of Hamas and has been wanted by Israel for 25 years. The demonstrative support for Hamas was painful not only for Israel but also for Hamas’s rival, Fatah, and for Jordan, which still formally oversees the Temple Mount.
The Palestinians accuse Israel of allowing increasing numbers of Jews to visit the Temple Mount, often under police escort. Formally, Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount on the basis of old agreements and that is only allowed slightly lower, at the Wailing Wall. But not everyone follows the rules. Much to the anger of the Palestinians who already feel that the Israelis everywhere are pushing them further and further.
Israel and Hamas have spoken threateningly to each other in recent days. Hamas said Israel had crossed “a red line” last week when 150 people were injured at the Al Aqsa mosque and called for an escalation of protests against it.
In turn, Defense Secretary Benny Gantz warned: “If the firing and firing of rockets continue, the terrorist organizations will be hit hard, as will the people of Gaza, who are currently reaping the benefits of Israeli efforts to improve their well-being.” By this he was referring to the larger numbers of work permits that Israel has recently issued to people from the Gaza Strip.
Yet the chance of a renewed larger confrontation between Israel and Hamas does not seem great at the moment. Neither Israel nor Hamas wants another exhausting battle. In Israel, the future of the Bennett administration hangs in the balance as the Arab-Israeli party Ra’am has temporarily suspended support for the coalition amid recent violence. As a result, the government no longer enjoys a majority in the Knesset.
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