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By Ramzy Baroud
Beginning on April 15, the Israeli occupation military and police raided Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem every day. Underneath the pretense of offering safety to provocative ‘visits’ by hundreds of unlawful Israeli Jewish settlers and rightwing fanatics, the Israeli military has wounded a whole lot of Palestinians, together with journalists, and arrested a whole lot extra.
Palestinians perceive that the present assaults on Al-Aqsa carry deeper political and strategic meanings for Israel than earlier raids.
Al-Aqsa has skilled routine raids by Israeli forces underneath varied guises prior to now. Nevertheless, the importance of the Mosque has acquired further meanings lately, particularly following the favored Palestinian rebel, mass protests, clashes and a conflict on Gaza final Could, which Palestinians tellingly discuss with as Saif Al Quds – Operation Sword of Jerusalem.
Traditionally, Haram Al-Sharif – or the Noble Sanctuary – has been on the coronary heart of widespread wrestle in Palestine, in addition to on the heart of Israeli insurance policies. Situated within the Outdated Metropolis of Occupied East Jerusalem, the Sanctuary is taken into account one of many holiest websites for all Muslims. It has a particular place in Islam, because it has been talked about within the Holy Quran and continuously within the Hadith – the Sayings of Prophet Mohammed. The compound incorporates a number of historic mosques and 17 gates, together with different necessary Islamic websites. Al-Aqsa is certainly one of these mosques.
However for Palestinians, the importance of Al-Aqsa has gained further which means as a result of Israeli occupation which, all through the years, has focused Palestinian mosques, church buildings and different holy websites. For instance, through the 2014 Israeli conflict on the besieged Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Non secular Affairs stated that 203 mosques have been broken by Israeli bombs, with 73 being fully destroyed.
Due to this fact, Palestinian Muslims, but in addition Christians, think about Al-Aqsa, the Sanctuary and different Muslim and Christian websites in Jerusalem, a crimson line that should not be crossed by Israel. Technology after technology, they’ve mobilized to guard the websites although, at instances, they might not, together with in 1969 when Australian Jewish extremist, Denis Michael Rohan carried out an arson assault in Al-Aqsa.
Even the current raids on the Mosque weren’t confined to the bodily hurt and mass arrest of worshippers. On April 15, the second Friday of Ramadan, a lot destruction passed off at Al-Aqsa, the place the Mosque’s well-known stained-glass home windows have been shattered and furnishings inside was left damaged.
The raids on the Haram Al-Sharif proceed, on the time of writing of this text. The Jewish extremists are feeling more and more empowered by the safety they’re receiving from the Israeli army, and the clean verify supplied to them by influential Israeli politicians. Lots of the raids are sometimes led by far-right Israeli Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir, Likud politician Yehuda Glick and former authorities minister Uri Ariel.
Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, is undoubtedly utilizing the raids on Al-Aqsa as a strategy to maintain his usually rebellious far-right and non secular constituency in line. The sudden resignation on April 6 of Idit Silman, a member of the Yamina right-wing occasion, left Bennett much more determined in his try and breathe life in his fractious coalition. As soon as a frontrunner of the Yesha Council, an umbrella group of West Financial institution unlawful settlements, Bennett rose to energy on the again of spiritual zealots, whether or not in Israel or within the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Shedding help of the settlers might merely price him his publish.
Bennett’s conduct is in step with these of earlier Israeli leaders, who’ve escalated violence in Al-Aqsa as a strategy to distract from their very own political woes, or to enchantment to Israel’s highly effective constituency of rightwing and non secular extremists. In September 2000, then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon raided the Mosque with hundreds of Israeli troopers, police and like-minded extremists. He did so to impress a Palestinian response, and to topple the federal government of his archenemy Ehud Barak. Sharon succeeded, however at a excessive worth, as his ‘go to’ unleashed the five-year-long Second Palestinian Intifada, also called Al-Aqsa Intifada.
In 2017, hundreds of Palestinians protested an Israeli try at putting in ‘safety cameras’ on the entrances of the holy shrine. The measure was additionally an try by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appease his right-wing supporters. However the mass protests in Jerusalem and the next Palestinian unity on the time compelled Israel to cancel its plans.
This time round, nonetheless, Palestinians concern that Israel goals at extra than simply mere provocations. Israel plans to “impose a temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque”, in response to Adnan Ghaith, the Palestinian Authority’s high consultant in East Jerusalem. This explicit phrase, ‘temporal and spatial division’, can be utilized by many Palestinians, as they concern a repeat of the Ibrahimi Mosque state of affairs.
Following the killing of 29 worshippers in 1994 by the hands of an Israeli Jewish extremist, Baruch Goldstein, and the next killing of many extra Palestinians by the Israeli military on the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron (Al-Khalil), Israel partitioned the mosque. It allotted a bigger house to the Jewish settlers whereas limiting entry to Palestinians, who’re allowed to hope at sure instances and barred at others. That is exactly what Palestinians imply by temporal and spatial division, which has been on the coronary heart of Israeli technique for a few years.
Bennett, nonetheless, should tread rigorously. Palestinians at present are extra united of their resistance and consciousness of the Israeli designs than at another time prior to now. An necessary element of this unity is the Palestinian Arab inhabitants in historic Palestine, who are actually championing an analogous political discourse as that of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem. In truth, lots of the defenders of Al-Aqsa come from these very communities. If Israel continues with its provocations in Al-Aqsa, it dangers one other Palestinian revolt as that of Could, which tellingly began in East Jerusalem.
Interesting to rightwing voters by attacking, humiliating and frightening Palestinians is now not a simple job, as was usually the case. Because the ‘Sword of Jerusalem’ has taught us, Palestinians are actually able to responding in a unified style and, regardless of their restricted means, even placing strain on Israel to reverse its insurance policies. Bennett should bear in mind this earlier than finishing up any extra violent provocations.
– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He’s the creator of six books. His newest e book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is “Our Imaginative and prescient for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Communicate out”. Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Analysis Fellow on the Heart for Islam and International Affairs (CIGA). His web site is www.ramzybaroud.internet
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