Third Infitada
There was rioting at the Temple Mound in Jerusalem today and by all accounts it was the most violent seen for some time. Over 60 Palestinians were injured as well as over 20 Israeli police officers and an unknown number of Israelis. Ynet News:
The Jerusalem Police view Friday’s clashes in Jerusalem’s Old City, which left 20 policemen and 60 Palestinians injured, as extremely severe. Police sources told Ynet on Friday evening that “the police will judge the rioters severely and take a firm hand against any attempt to cause disturbances at the Temple Mount complex. According to the police sources, the Palestinian youths took advantage of the decision not to restrict the age of the worshippers so as not to harm the freedom of worship.
Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority was quick to come out with a statement which is probably the most revealing statement the PA has issued for some time – and I quote the YNet Translation:
The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, pointed a finger at Israel. According to a special statement released by the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, “Today’s events were aimed at damaging the chances of resuming the peace process and Israel is crossing all the red lines – after the Arab League’s monitoring committee recommended that the negotiations between the sides be resumed.”
The statement also said that Abbas, who was being updated on the events in Jerusalem, had called on the American administration to “stop the adventure which may ignite a religious war in the region” and demanded that the international community “take responsibility and stop the Israeli recklessness, which may have serious implications on the entire region and on peace and security in the entire world.”
While it is all while and good for the PA to point fingers and blame Israel for today’s riot in reality there is very little Israel could have done to prevent today’s riot on the Temple Mound other than issued orders for religious Jews praying at the HaKotel to lay down and accept being stoned to death by Palestinian youths throwing boulders above the Western Wall. Ynet News
Police forces on Friday raided the Temple Mount to stop youths hurling stones at passersby at the Western Wall after their weekly prayers. Dozens of police officers and worshippers were injured.
The Palestinian Authority once again seeks to blame and demonize Israeli authorities for acting to protect the lives of praying Jews from a blood thirsty mob of Palestinian ‘youths’ but I really do have to wonder who laid up the rocks for the youths to throw and suggested the optics were good to go Jew hunting? All of which makes me suspect that today’s events aimed at damaging the chances of forcing the Palestinian Authority to resume the peace process.
The restraint by the IDF always astounds me.
where do u get off calling the haram el shariff the ‘temple mount.’ Don’t you know that there never was any jewish temple in al quds. it’s all a zionist plot.
I agree with you about the IDF except this case doesn’t involve the IDF but the Jerusalem Police, who have some very rough characters if routine accounts are to be believed. I would normally prefer to not come to their attention…
If everything from bananas and chewing gum are a Zionist plot – what isn’t?
you do realize i was joking kateland, i hope!
yr comment reminds of the latest leftoid meme that if everything is antisemitic then nothing is antisemitic.
re: rough types in jerusalem police…. you got some urls about the rough characters(not to criticize… just to learn)
Yep – you were joking, I was joking….accept everything in the Arab world is considered a Zionist plot.
Re: Israeli police
I am not going to spend a lot of time answering you – I have a whole host of other commitments but this is something which is spoken of quite freely in Israeli society. Last figures which stick out in my mind (circa 2007-08) suggested that 80% of the Israeli public had no faith in their ‘police forces’ and believe police corruption and brutality is epidemic. A number of police corruption scandals have hit Israel in the last 10 years – especially in the southern command. There was a blue ribbon panel/commission in/about 2007 or so when the witnesses to police corruption demanded not only immunity but to enter the witness protection program. Then of course there is the ‘regular’ run of police brutality charges. Take a look at this visit by the Israeli police to a Satmar yeshiva. I am not fan of Satmars but the random level of random violence used by police is completely appalling in a yeshiva setting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v37n0LBtseo
Then think back to Amona where even Knesset members who were protesting non-violently were brutally attacked – although the Yassam was also heavily involved in that instance.
The Dati-camp has been complaining along time about police brutality but their claims were treated dismissively and written off because their from the ’settler’ camp. Here is a right of centre blogger from Shiloh.
http://myrightword.blogspot.com/2008/03/illustarted-manual-for-police-brutality.html