Monday, May 10, 2021
Seven injured in protests
Jerusalem does not come to rest
The riots in Jerusalem are continuing. Again the Palestinians and the security forces clash, several people are injured. A planned Israeli march this Monday could spark new protests.
Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces also broke out in East Jerusalem on Sunday evening. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that seven people were injured. The Israeli police faced mostly young Palestinian demonstrators at various locations in East Jerusalem. She used stun grenades and water cannons against the Palestinians at the Damascus Gate on the edge of the old town.
There were also clashes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, where Palestinians threw stones at the security forces. The most recent protests began there because around 30 Palestinians have to expect eviction from their homes, which are being claimed by Jewish Israelis.
At the weekend there were massive protests by Palestinians as a result of the threat of evictions. More than 300 people were injured in the worst clashes in years. A court date on the evictions scheduled for Monday was postponed on Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the actions of the Israeli security forces and assured that Israel would act decisively to enforce “law and order”. All six Arab countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel – Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan – condemned the Israeli approach. Jordan and Egypt summoned the Israeli ambassadors to protest against the Israeli actions at the Al-Aqsa mosque.
No relaxation in sight
In view of the growing tensions, the UN Security Council wants to deal with the violence in Jerusalem in a closed session on Monday, according to Tunisian sources. Despite the international calls for de-escalation, there is no relaxation in sight in Jerusalem: a march by Jews is planned on Monday afternoon to commemorate the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 – in Israel this is celebrated as Jerusalem Day.
Israel occupied the eastern part of Jerusalem in the Six Day War in 1967 and annexed it in 1980. The annexation is not recognized internationally. Israel has declared all of Jerusalem its “indivisible” capital, while the Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of their own state.
The riots in Jerusalem spread to the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The radical Islamic Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, supported the demonstrators in Jerusalem, as did Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. According to the Israeli army, at least three rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including fire balloons that set off 39 fires on Israeli territory. Hundreds of Palestinians gathered to protest on Sunday evening on the border with the Gaza Strip.
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