Preparations for Ramadan in Jerusalem

1. In light of the violence that is liable to erupt on the Temple Mount during Ramadan,

Israel will apparently have no choice but to restrict the entry of worshipers to the Mount during Ramadan. Only those above a certain age, apparently 55-60, will be permitted. In response, some Israeli- Arabs are planning a major provocation that, they hope, will disrupt life in the capital.

Likely with the help of foreign funding, as has been in the case in the past, they plan to bring to Jerusalem a large number of buses filled with worshipers, and when they are turned away from the Temple Mount gates, as they expect, they will travel to other parts of the city – and spread out large prayer mats and pray there. The selected sites reportedly include the Ben Yehuda Street Mall, the Mamilla Street Mall, Talpiyot, and others throughout western Jerusalem.

2. Arab sources in Jerusalem predict that a large number of worshipers are expected to take part in this activity – even more than those who usually arrive for Friday prayers during Ramadan.

This does not appear to be a spontaneous response from the “street.” Rather, outside elements are responsible, those who have long been eager to finally succeed in “burning the city” and create what Hamas has long sought: a strong link between the war and destruction in Gaza, and the struggle for Jerusalem. Over the four months of war so far, these efforts have failed.

3. The moderate elements in the Arab street in Jerusalem feel that a crack has formed in the complex relations between the city’s Arabs and the Israeli authorities. They further feel that the Islamic extremists wish to expand this crack into an all-out break, thus bringing the relations to a boiling point that will prevent local Israeli-Arab understandings in the future.

4. Israeli police have been active in the area of the Friday Market, adjacent to and below the Old City walls.

This is part of the area in which the Jerusalem Gardens National Park is being built around the Old City, to “guarantee the character of the area and preserve historic, archaeological and traditional values.” However, three Arab families have filed a suit against the confiscation of what they claim is their land.

This week, the State Prosecution informed a Jerusalem court that former Jerusalem Mufti Sheikh Akrameh Sabri will be indicted on two counts of anti-Israel incitement.

The connection between these two items is that some Jerusalem Arabs see both of them, as well as the demolition of Fahri Abu Diab’s home, as being part of a campaign being waged against them on the backdrop of the war in Gaza.

5. A number of Hamas leaders connected with Jerusalem have been killed during the course of the war so far.

Specifically, PA parliament member Hamis Al-Najar, responsible for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa in the Hamas political bureau (he was killed in Khan Yunis); Yusuf Salameh, who served as Waqf minister in several PA governments and Deputy Head of the Supreme Muslim Authority in Jerusalem; Azzam Akra, head of the Hamas West Bank Committee, was killed in Lebanon together with Hizbullah terrorist leader Salah Aaruri; and Ali Alawi, responsible for Judea and Samaria on behalf of Hamas-Gaza. The latter two coordinated Jerusalem terrorist attacks. Their deaths are a big blow to the connection between Hamas headquarters and Hamas in Jerusalem.

Municipal Elections: Next Week

The Arab list running in the Jerusalem elections is apparently determined not to pull out from the race, despite pressures from within and without to do so. The list filed an administrative suit demanding that voting stations be placed in the Arab neighborhoods of Kafr Akeb and Shuafat, even though they are outside the Jerusalem security wall. It also demands redress to their claim that the five handicapped-friendly polling stations in the eastern neighborhoods are insufficient.

Sheikh Akrameh Sabri threatens that preventing prayer on the Temple Mount – he should have spoken only of “restricting” it – will ignite the situation.

He calls on all Arabs who can come to the Temple Mount to do so and “fulfill their duty and right” to pray there.

The Municipality issued a warning letter to the Athletic Club in Isawiya that it may not continue functioning as a school without a license.

As of now it appears that the attempts to stir up violence during Ramadan in order to “protect” Al- Aqsa are being ratcheted up. If these efforts in fact succeed, it will be an impressive achievement for Hamas, which has been trying to do so since the beginning of the war by linking it to the struggle for Al- Aqsa. On other fronts, as is known, Hamas has suffered many setbacks

– militarily, politically, and internally.