The recipe for violence

The Israeli right-wing Temple Mount activists’ plan to change the status quo in East Jerusalem is a perfect recipe for another bloody confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians.

If their activities continue unchecked, the holy land will see nothing but doom and gloom.

It is hard to believe that the Israeli government is not complicit in this plan, the implementation of which would provoke the Arab and the Muslim worlds.

The Israeli government is not oblivious to the dangers inherent in allowing the right-wing extremists to try to change the status quo in occupied East Jerusalem. Indeed, Israeli security agencies such as the Shin Bet have repeatedly warned about the consequences of such actions. 

Despite that, some elected officials and even Cabinet members support changing the delicate balance.

The group behind the new escalation is the “Temple Mount Faithful”. It would be not wise to assume that this group is nothing but a tiny radical fringe outfit; its discourse about the Temple Mount has become mainstream in the national religious discourse in Israel over the last decade.

Israeli experts on religion and politics argue that a growing number of rabbis support the idea of ascending the Temple Mount.

The international community should send an unequivocal message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning him of the grave consequences of messing with the delicate balance in East Jerusalem.

In response to the right-wing activists’ harassment and attempt to ascend to the site, there was an attempt on the life of Yehuda Glick, an activist who belongs to the Temple Mount Faithful group.

Although Glick survived the assassination attempt, the Israeli government decided to respond in kind. A Palestinian young man — who was suspected of having attempted to kill Glick — was shot dead.

Since the end of the last war on Gaza, tension between Palestinians and Israelis has been brewing. Now the attempted assassination and the killing of a Palestinian could push the tensions to a new level. 

Netanyahu should try to clip the wings of this group whose agenda is risky for both Palestinians and Israelis. Unfortunately, Netanyahu is not in touch with reality. He thinks too much about the next election and therefore is reluctant to check this movement.

Instead of criticising those who try to set Jerusalem alight, he ordered on Thursday the first full closure of Al Aqsa Mosque compound, a move that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced as an act of war.

For Arabs and Muslims, the Israeli decision to close the compound was a further provocation that reflected Netanyahu’s insensitivity to the feelings of not only the Palestinians but also the Arabs and Muslims all over the world.

Israelis argue that the closure was just for a day and was meant to defuse the growing tension. 

Yet, the decision sent a different, annoying, message: Israelis can close Al Aqsa compound!

Not surprisingly, the Israeli government used various pretexts to take unilateral moves in Jerusalem.

Once again, an Israeli prime minister subordinates the need to create a peaceful climate to his quest for political survival.

As happened with Yitzhak Shamir in the past, radical political and religious groups force Netanyahu to take them seriously.

If Netanyahu turns against them, he undermines his chances of making a coalition with right-wing forces.

In other words, Netanyahu is concentrating on the next elections and the need to win the support of this right-wing constituency.

What he does not want to see is that his hesitancy in dealing with this movement and the collusion with an extremist segment of the Israeli society may trigger another unnecessary clash with Palestinians.

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