BICOM

Key Points

• The last few days have seen isolated clashes between Palestinian rioters and Israeli security forces in Jerusalem. The unrest began on 27 September, when Palestinians threw stones at a group of Christian tourists entering the site of the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif. They mistook the tourists for a radical Jewish group they believed was planning to conduct religious ceremonies there.
• The sensitivities around the holy sites of Jerusalem have made it the trigger point for wider clashes in the past. It is therefore important to monitor the situation.
• The level of tension is being heightened by internal Palestinian politics. Fatah and Hamas leaders are each trying to maximise their credibility within Palestinian society as the prospect of new Palestinian elections is coming back on to the cards.

Events in Jerusalem

• Jerusalem witnessed a second day of confrontations on Monday, 5 October, as Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli security forces following tensions in the area known to Jews as the Temple Mount, and to Muslims as the Haram al Sharif. As the site of the ancient Jewish temples, it is the holiest place in the world for Jews. The site houses the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine.
• On 5 October, a border policeman was stabbed while conducting a routine security inspection on a bus in the Shuafat refugee camp in the north of the city. Rocks were subsequently thrown at police there. Four policemen were injured in the Ras al Amud area, close to the Old City and the Temple Mount. A confrontation between police and about 100 members of the Islamic Movement in Israel took place in the Wadi Joz neighbourhood, also adjoining the Old City. Fifty people have been arrested so far in the disturbances.
• The present unrest began on 27 September when Palestinians threw stones at a group of Christian tourists entering the Temple Mount site, mistaking them for a radical Jewish group they believed was planning to conduct Jewish ceremonies there. In fact Israeli authorities had prevented the Jewish group from entering the Temple Mount.
• The leader of the radical ‘northern branch’ of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raed al-Salah, has called on Muslims to gather on the Temple Mount today, claiming that the al-Aqsa mosque is under ‘threat’ from Israel.
• This week sees the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The Western Wall which lies at the foot of the Temple Mount is a focal point for this festival.
• According to reports, Jordan has asked Israel to completely prevent the entry of non-Muslims into the compound until the situation calms down. The Muslim Waqf religious trust, which administers the Islamic holy sites in the area, is under Jordanian control. Israel and the Palestinian Authority are to hold talks in the coming days in an effort to calm the situation. US diplomats are also pressing Israel and the PA to work to reduce tensions.
• Earlier this week the Palestinian cabinet in Ramallah condemned what it called a plan by Jews to ‘perform religious rituals’ on the site. The Palestinian Authority urged the world to ‘force [Israel] to put off its attempts to take over Jerusalem and Judaise it.’ Palestinians have warned that the tensions flaring over the compound, on the background of stalled peace talks, could ignite a third intifada.

Issues behind the flare-up

• Immediately after gaining control of East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel sought to maintain freedom of religion in the holy sites of the Old City, allowing the Jordanian-controlled Islamic ‘Waqf’ to maintain control over the Islamic sites on the Temple Mount.
• Between 2000 and 2003, no Jews or tourists were allowed into the Temple Mount compound because of the tense situation deriving from the second intifada. Since 2003, the authorities have permitted Jews and tourists to ascend to the Temple Mount for several hours each day. The times are coordinated so as not to interfere with Muslim prayers.
• The radical ‘northern branch’ of the Islamic Movement in Israel is engaged in trying to escalate the situation. In the past, this group has incited tensions by spreading false claims that Israeli archaeological works were aimed at undermining the al-Aqsa mosque.
• The sensitivity of the situation is heightened by internal Palestinian politics. Fatah and Hamas are each trying to maximise their credibility within Palestinian society as the prospect of new Palestinian elections is coming back on to the cards. Though it is far from certain that a deal will be concluded, there is talk of an agreement to be signed between the factions in Cairo at the end of the month that would schedule elections for June 2010.
• Abbas feels the need to adopt a tougher stance after being forced by the US to meet with Netanyahu at the UN in advance of an Israeli settlement freeze, and having withdrawn support from the Goldstone Report. His Hamas rivals are riding the success of securing the release of 20 female prisoners in return for a video tape of Gilad Shalit, whom they are holding captive in Gaza.
• The sensitivities around the holy sites of Jerusalem have made it the trigger point for wider clashes in the past. Therefore it is important to monitor the situation.

Further information

• For more information on the history of Jerusalem and its significance to Jews, Christians and Muslims, see the FAQs section on the BICOM website.
• For more information on the internal Palestinian political situation, see the recent BICOM Analysis: Fatah’s general conference and the future of Palestinian politics.