Occupied East Jerusalem – The temper in occupied East Jerusalem is tense as the town’s Palestinians put together for Islam’s holy month of Ramadan.
From daybreak to sundown, Ramadan requires practising Muslims to abstain from consuming, ingesting, smoking and sexual relations earlier than they break their quick with mates, household and communities.
However the Palestinians who spoke to Al Jazeera say they’re too depressed to hold up decorations or interact in festivities.
Many are simply praying for a ceasefire in Gaza, the place greater than 30,000 individuals have been killed by Israel in retaliation for a lethal assault on Israeli civilians and navy outposts by the Qassam Brigades and different Palestinian armed fighters on October 7.
Others concern that Israeli authorities and far-right settlers will assault Palestinians in the course of the holy month as a part of a broader marketing campaign of collective punishment, as has occurred earlier than.
“I’m actually apprehensive about attainable provocation,” mentioned Munir Nuseibah, a Palestinian human rights lawyer who lives in East Jerusalem. “We discovered from the previous that the extra there’s a police presence and police intervention in East Jerusalem throughout Ramadan, the extra we are going to see [violent] confrontations.”
Historical past of violence
Throughout Ramadan, tensions ceaselessly mount round Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest website in Islam. Palestinians from throughout the occupied West Financial institution yearn to wish within the mosque, but Israeli police have historically obstructed entry and attacked worshippers.
Final 12 months, Palestinians resorted to barricading themselves contained in the mosque to stop Israeli police from interfering with itikaf, a spiritual observe that entails spending entire nights in prayer and worship in mosques.
However Israeli safety managed to interrupt by, firing stun grenades and tear fuel and indiscriminately beating worshippers, together with girls and the aged. At the least 450 Palestinian males had been arrested.
“There’s nothing inherently violent about Al-Aqsa and definitely nothing inherently violent about Ramadan. It’s essential to recall that as a result of some individuals get the concept that that is all about Islam,” mentioned Daniel Siedmann, a lawyer and resident of Jerusalem.
Palestinians attribute a lot of the violence to the provocative measures taken by Israeli authorities, which occupy the town and the holy website.
Israeli police typically enable lots of of Israeli Jews – who seek advice from Al-Aqsa Mosque because the Temple Mount – entry to the holy website, which violates the newest status-quo settlement that Israel, Jordan, Palestine and the USA affirmed in 2015.
The settlement stipulates that Al-Aqsa Mosque is a spot of worship completely for Muslims, but grants entry to non-Muslims on particular days and hours. Nevertheless, many concern that far-right Israeli ministers might attempt to provoke Palestinians by permitting Israelis into the mosque to taunt or conflict with worshippers.
“There’s warning and concern from everybody that Israeli settlers will try to provoke Palestinians. The Israeli authorities is towards the Palestinian individuals,” mentioned Rony, a 27-year-old Palestinian from occupied East Jerusalem.
A flashpoint?
Israeli police are managed by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right minister of nationwide safety. In February, he referred to as for barring Palestinian residents within the West Financial institution from praying within the mosque throughout Ramadan.
Israeli officers later overrode his suggestion in an obvious try to take care of calm in Jerusalem, however did say they would impose some restrictions on “safety grounds”.
Seidmann mentioned Ben-Gvir might nonetheless spark chaos, even when he’s commanding officers outdoors the compound.
“Simply because Ben-Gvir is just not influencing what occurs on the gates of Al-Aqsa doesn’t imply that he received’t trigger issues 200 or 300 metres [220 to 330 yards] away from the mosque,” he informed Al Jazeera.
Any violence towards Palestinian worshippers in East Jerusalem or the remainder of the occupied West Financial institution might set off mass unrest, warns Ibrahim Matar, a Christian Palestinian from occupied East Jerusalem.
He mentioned Al-Aqsa is symbolic for all Palestinians and recalled how the late Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat walked away from the closely criticised peace course of in 2000, partly as a result of Israel insisted on sustaining sovereignty over the mosque.
Two months later, Israel’s then-opposition chief Ariel Sharon stormed Al-Aqsa with greater than 1,000 closely armed policemen and troopers. The transfer led to outrage which culminated within the second Intifada, a Palestinian rebellion towards Israel’s occupation, that lasted for 5 years.
Within the shadow of Israel’s conflict on Gaza, Matar believes {that a} related transfer by the Israelis might set off one other chapter of standard unrest.
“Al-Aqsa might be a flashpoint for one more conflict,” he informed Al Jazeera.
Underneath the shadow of conflict
Palestinian residents of Israel and people within the occupied territory say the continued bloodshed in Gaza is hanging over everybody like a darkish cloud.
US President Joe Biden has tried to dealer a truce in Gaza to retrieve Israeli captives nonetheless held by Hamas and calm tensions throughout Ramadan. However with prospects for a ceasefire trying slim, Rony believes the conflict will have an effect on the scenario between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem.
He mentioned many Palestinians are “dying inside” from watching scenes of the devastating conflict on tv and social media. He additionally fears that Israeli officers or ministers will exploit their anger by harassing Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
“Most of us really feel like we’re in a home jail. [We feel] like now we have to remain at dwelling to keep away from being hit or harassed [during Ramadan],” he informed Al Jazeera
Matar agrees, including that Gaza and Al-Aqsa have a symbiotic relationship. He recalled the quick 11-day conflict between Hamas and Israel in 2021, which was triggered by Israel attacking worshippers in Al-Aqsa and evicting Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah, a neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. Comparable unrest might unfold this Ramadan.
“If one a part of Palestine is struggling, then each a part of Palestine suffers,” Matar informed Al Jazeera.