The Rosh Hashanah holidays will soon arrive and with them will come the seasonal tensions around the Temple Mount. The question is how long it will take until the constant erosion around the Temple Mount will lead to a major explosion, which will endanger not only the stability in Jerusalem but in Israel in general.
Contrary to the warnings that accompanied the unity of Jerusalem from the day Israel annexed the eastern part of the city after the Six Day War, Warnings that it will not last and that the unity is fictitious and not real, the unity actually lasted for many years.
The New Year holidays are coming soon and with them will come the seasonal tensions around the Temple Mount. The question is how long it will take until the constant erosion around the Temple Mount leads to a large explosion, which will endanger not only the stability in Jerusalem but in Israel in general
On the contrary, compared to the stormy intifadas in the West Bank and Gaza, East Jerusalem, which houses the largest Palestinian population outside of Rabat Ammon, was relatively calm and did not massively join the storms that accompanied the West Bank and Gaza.
This is a fact that requires an examination of how it happened, and in my opinion there are three main reasons for this:
- The East Jerusalemites compared their situation with the situation in the West Bank and Gaza and discovered that their situation under Israel is better.
- The sponsorship that the Israeli justice system gave them. Compared to the West Bank and Gaza, where the legal system is subordinate to the government, in the Israeli legal system, East Jerusalemites have gained a great deal of justice and security.
- And the third reason, no less important – neutralization of possible religious tension in the status quo agreements on the Temple Mount, which stated that Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount, but the area is Muslim, that is: the prayer is for Muslims alone, while the Western Wall and the extension in front of it are all for Judaism, and Israel is responsible for security on the Mount the house
Under the auspices of the status quo, good relations developed between the Jews and the Arabs in Jerusalem, and today the Arabs are the ones who maintain the unity of the city. Since the ultra-orthodox do not fully participate in the economic fabric of the city, the Arabs are the ones who take their place.
Not only in tourism and hotels, where the ultra-Orthodox have all kinds of “touching” problems, men-women, yin Nesach, “Gentiles” and the like, but in general – bus and taxi drivers and those who handle the medicine in the hospitals and clinics, are Arabs. You can even hear Arabic among the hospital security guards.
Not only in tourism and hotels, where the ultra-Orthodox have problems with “touching”, men-women, yin Nesach, “Gentiles” and the like, but in general – bus and taxi drivers and those who handle the medicine in the hospitals and clinics in Jerusalem – are Arabs
It can be said that the unity of Jerusalem, and the normal life in it, depends on the desire of the Arabs to maintain this unity.
Regarding the comparison with the territories of the Authority, this foundation is actually getting stronger, as is the trust in the courts. But as for the status quo on the Temple Mount, this foundation is being undermined from holiday to holiday, and the question is what will come first – the eruption around the Temple Mount, or a final acceptance that continued Israeli sponsorship of the East of the city is desirable and good despite the tensions building around the Temple Mount.
And maybe this is an opportunity to examine the political tissue in the east of the city, which is not often talked about.
On the eve of the Jerusalem municipality elections, the East Jerusalem Research Institute hosted a discussion on the question: Should East Jerusalemites participate in the municipal elections.
3 sectors were invited to the discussion: the old aristocracy of Jerusalem, from the Nusayiba and Husseini families and their ilk, the representatives of the “Hebronites” who settled in the city and today constitute the middle class, and the representatives of the “Israelis” who settled in the city, the Israeli Arabs, mainly lawyers, who represent the East Jerusalemites in the Israeli courts.
While the noble families were strongly opposed to participating in the municipal elections for reasons of national honor, the pragmatic “Hebronites” were in favor, while the “Israelis” went as far as to say that Ahmed Tibi should run for mayor.
While the noble families strongly opposed participation in the municipal elections for reasons of national honor, the pragmatic “Hebronites” were in favor, while the “Israelis” went so far as to say that Tibi should run for mayor
The Hebronites are known for their pragmatic and matter-of-fact approach and their inclination towards the religion of Islam. Hence, if the issue of the elections becomes concrete in the future – the Islamic current, which may have the influence of Hamas, may have a positive position on the matter in contrast to the national current which will oppose.
Why might a movement like Hamas have a positive stance? Because of the weakness of the movement in East Jerusalem today. Contrary to popular opinion, in East Jerusalem the Hamas movement, like Fatah, is very weak, and not only is it unable to move the East Jerusalem street, it also has zero power on the Temple Mount.
why? Because because of the Israeli government the forces operating in Ramallah cannot operate in Jerusalem, Hamas is defined in Israel as a terrorist movement, and anyone associated with it is arrested and deported.
The leading Islamic force in Jerusalem, and it is very prominent on the Temple Mount, is the Islamic Liberation Movement, “Tahrir”, which is a caliphate movement that denies Arab nationalism, including Palestinian nationalism, and blocks Hamas, the PA and Jordan from operating on the Temple Mount. It does not act against Israel, and therefore Israel does not act against it.
And that brings us to explain the phenomenon of Raad Salah, the northern Islamic movement and Turkey. Rajp Type Erdoğan did not hide in the past his claim to conquer the Muslim world through the defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque, To reach the stage of crowning him as caliph over all Muslims in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
A poster from the Imams’ Conference shows Ra’ad Salah as the governor of Jerusalem
Why may Hamas support the elections for the Jerusalem municipality? Due to its weakness in East Jerusalem today. Contrary to popular opinion – Hamas there, like Fatah, is very weak, and not only is it unable to move the street there, it also has zero power on the Temple Mount
These plans were discovered at a conference of imams from all over the world in Istanbul about five years ago, where the Turkish plan to make a “settlement” of the pilgrims on the house was presented. Make as if another visit to the holy place, then set up tents and refuse to come down from the mountain.
The imams who came to the conference were asked to concentrate on preaching on Friday about the Jewish danger to the mosques, and when the great event takes place, to mobilize the Muslims all over the world to support the “Turkish settlers”.
The corona interrupted these plans. And after the great crisis in the Muslim Brotherhood movement which I will deal with separately, and Turkey’s decision to return to the “zero problems” policy which also brought it closer to Israel again – Erdogan abandoned his features regarding Jerusalem. But since in the Middle East no one gives up anything and all tactics are allowed, it must be estimated that at one time or another Erdogan will return to the dreams of the caliphate that will be announced in Jerusalem.
Since Hamas in Jerusalem is too weak to serve Turkey’s interests, Erdogan put his love on Raad Salah, appointing him as the governor of Jerusalem on behalf of the future caliphate. With this title, Raad Salah was presented at the Great Conference of Imams.
#Erdogan’s #Turkey Intensifies Involvement in #Gaza and #Jerusalem | @JerusalemCenterhttps://t.co/1wa651yd9O#Israel #Muslims #Jihad ##Violence #Terror #Barbarism
— Golan Shahar ???????? (@GolanSh) June 16, 2018
Erdogan’s tightening relationship with Ra’ad Salah made the Tahrir movement engage with Saudi Arabia, and there were several events, such as setting the end date of the Ramadan fast, in which Tahrir sided with Saudi Arabia.
Since Hamas in Jerusalem is too weak to serve Turkey’s interests, Erdogan there favored Raad Salah, and appointed him as the governor of Jerusalem on behalf of the future caliphate. With this title, Salah was presented at the Great Conference of Imams
What is no less significant was the identity of the positions according to which the Temple Mount will not be under the control of Jordan nor under the control of Turkey. Since Tahrir is anti-Jordanian, in the days of the Trump initiative it was among the levers to block Jordan and promote Saudi Arabia. But these processes were not reached due to the failure of Donald Trump in the elections in the United States, and those who block Jordan today are the Jewish worshippers.
In the events on the Temple Mount that were directed against Israel and the Jewish prayer, we did not see Tahrir people among the shouters, and it was mainly Ra’ad Salah people carrying Hamas flags.
That’s why King Abdullah tried to convince Abu Mazen to help elect “Just No Bibi”, assuming that a full-right right-wing government would finally end the status quo, while a just-not-Bibi government might renew it. This, it is assumed, was at the center of the king’s talks with the leaders of the “Only not Bibi” group who were recently in Rabat Ammon (assuming that there is such a group at all).
King Abdullah II of Jordan met today in Rabat Ammon with Prime Minister Lapid. A message from the Jordanian royal house pic.twitter.com/dZQExAQman
— roi kais • Roi Kays • Roi Kays (@kaisos1987) July 27, 2022
After the Northern Islamic Movement joined Turkey against Jordan, the Southern Islamic Movement of Mansour Abbas allied itself with the leadership of the Waqf, which is part of the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, and the documents it issues bear the logo of the Kingdom of Jordan.
Hence, in the face of the forces striving to overthrow the status quo: the Tahrir party, Ra’ad Salah and the Jewish worshippers, Mansur Abbas sided with the status quo together with the Muslim Waqf. As far as the residents of East Jerusalem are concerned, the support for Jordan is a bureaucratic mechanism. The residents of East Jerusalem do not look to the Hashemite crown to save them.
Against the forces striving to overthrow the status quo: the Tahrir party, Ra’ad Salah and the Jewish worshipers, Mansur Abbas sided with the status quo together with the Muslim Waqf
Abu Mazen’s difficulty in Jerusalem is that the people he chose to represent him in Jerusalem are identified in the eyes of the population as pushats who do not add respect to the authority in the eyes of East Jerusalemites.
On the question of whether to participate in the municipal elections, there has been a development, when Muhammad Dahlan’s people, who advocate the idea of one state with Israel, support running for the municipal elections, and those associated with this idea are personalities identified with Mansur Abbas. In other words, there is the beginning of a connection between Ra’am and Dahlan, but it is only at the beginning.
In the meantime, Dahlan decided to distance himself from East Jerusalem, and the whole idea of running to the municipality on behalf of his people died. But we learned that in the East Jerusalem salon talks, there is doubt that representation in the municipality has any significance in strengthening the interests of the Arabs, because the decisions about Jerusalem are made in the government and not in the municipality.
This leads us to the option that in future governments, Prime Minister of Mansour Abbas will begin to represent East Jerusalem as wellbut it is still very early to see if such beginnings will mature.
What can be said is that, against the backdrop of the Arab world’s indifference to what is happening in Jerusalem in general and the Al Aqsa Mosque in particular, the question of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are increasingly becoming an internal Israeli matter, when the Temple Mount may erupt like a volcano that will spread boiling lava throughout Israel, or an obstacle to the stability and consolidation of society at large its parts