05-10-2021, 10:28 PM
*** 11-May-21 World View -- Violence escalates between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Hamas fires dozens of rockets at Jerusalem in response to clashes
****
![[Image: g210510b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g210510b.jpg)
Violence in Jerusalem on May 6 (Reuters)
The war between Hamas militants in Gaza and Israeli's military was
renewed on Monday, when militants fired dozes of rockets into Israel,
and Israel's military responded with missile strikes, killing 20
people in Gaza, including nine children, according to Gaza officials.
This was the worst such violence that has occurred in year, since the
2014 summer war. Hamas militants have fired rockets into southern
Israel at intervals for years, but this was a major escalation because
the rockets targeted Jerusalem. Explosions could be heard in
Jerusalem, and one of the rockets damaged a home on the outskirts of
Jerusalem. Israel struck many of the rockets down, using their "Iron
Dome" anti-missile system, and others exploded harmlessly in open
areas.
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the rocket attacks had
"crossed a red line":
<QUOTE>"Israel will respond very forcefully. We will not
tolerate attacks on our territory, our capital, our citizens and
our soldiers. Whoever strikes us will pay a heavy
price."<END QUOTE>
Hamas launched the rocket attacks after a 6 pm deadline passed for an
ultimatum that demanded that Israeli police withdraw from the Al-Aqsa
mosque in East Jerusalem. Hamas also demanded the release of all
detained Palestinians, and the removal of Jewish settlers from an East
Jerusalem neighbourhood.
Hamas said that Israel was waging a "religious war against Palestinian
worshipers" in Jerusalem.
<QUOTE>"What is happening in the Al-Aqsa Mosque at the time
of storming and assaulting worshipers is proof of the brutality of
the Zionist occupation.
[Israel is responsible for its] incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The occupation will pay a heavy price."<END QUOTE>
So both sides are promising "a heavy price."
Terminology:
****
**** Israeli police storm Al-Aqsa Mosque after violent Palestinian protests
****
![[Image: g210510c.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g210510c.jpg)
Map of holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City (BBC)
Hamas militias set the 6 pm deadline and launched the rockets as a
reaction to a situation of escalating violence is occurring for weeks
in Jerusalem. Typically, these situations worsen for a while, then
begin to settle down and fizzle. But we know that one day one of
these situations will escalate into a full war, but we don't know
which one. So far, this situation is triggering a larger war, to
include Hamas.
The epicenter of violence in the last few weeks is the Al-Aqsa mosque
compound, which is Islam's third-holiest site, behind Mecca and
Medina. It is also a major holy site for Jews, who refer to it as the
Temple Mount. So it's not surprising that it's a major flash point
for Palestinian worshippers and Israeli nationalists.
On Monday, Palestinians hurled rocks, other heavy objects and
firecrackers at Israeli policemen. Israeli police stormed the mosque,
firing stun grenades and rubber bullets inside the mosque. Hundreds
of Palestinians were wounded, and dozens were hospitalized.
This kind of violence has been going on daily since the start of
Ramadan on April 13. This is the worst violence in years between
Israeli police and Palestinians in East Jerusalem. In April,
Israeli police blocked off access to a part of the Old City, giving
Covid restrictions as the reason. Then a TikTok video went viral
apparently showing an Israeli being abused by an Arab. That's when
right-wing extremist Jewish settlers held a large demonstration,
chanting "Death to Arabs." Palestinians heard about this, and a crowd
responded by throwing firecrackers and setting garbage bins on fire.
(See 24-Apr-2021 World View: Violence grows between Palestinians and far-right Jews in East Jerusalem)
Clashese between Palestinians and settlers have occurred almost daily
since then. The violence has spiked in recent days as Jewish settlers
are asking the Israeli courts to evict Palestinians from their homes,
so that the Israeli settlers can take their place. The settlers claim
that the land occupied by the Palestinian homes belonged to their
Jewish ancestors prior to the 1948 creation of Israel.
These are the last days of Ramadan but, more significantly, Monday is
Israel's "Jerusalem Day," which celebrates Israel's capture of East
Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war.
Israel's government took two steps to try to defuse the violence.
First, a court hearing scheduled for Monday was postponed a month.
The court hearing would have finalized the decision to evict
Palestinians from homes. These threatened evictions would have
severely escalated the clashes between Palestinians and settlers.
The other step was to cancel a scheduled march by Israeli right-wing
nationalists and settlers, in celebration of Jerusalem Day. The
parade would have marched through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's
Old City, which the Palestinians said would be highly provocative.
These two steps reduced some of the violence, although they've
apparently infuriated the Israeli nationalists. Nationalist Israelis
demonstrated against the moves.
Generational Dynamics predicts that the Israelis and Palestinians will
be re-fighting the 1948 war that followed the partitioning of
Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel. However, this new
situation so far shows signs that it's more likely to fizzle, rather
than expand into a larger regional war. The US State Department is
pressuring Israel to back off, and the United Nations, Egypt and Qatar
are mediating between Israel and Hamas to halt the fighting.
However, the violence is expected to continue for at least several
weeks and months. The court hearing to evict Palestinians from their
homes has not been canceled, but has been postponed for a month, so we
can't expect the clashes between Palestinians and Israelis around the
Al-Aqsa Mosque to end for at least that period of time. That will
lead to more demands by the Hamas militants for at least that period
of time. Perhaps the worst that will happen will be like the 2014
summer war between Hamas and Israel that last 67 days.
Sources:
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Israel, West Bank, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem,
Gaza, Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu,
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Temple Mount Compound, Jerusalem Day
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Hamas fires dozens of rockets at Jerusalem in response to clashes
- Israeli police storm Al-Aqsa Mosque after violent Palestinian protests
****
**** Hamas fires dozens of rockets at Jerusalem in response to clashes
****
Violence in Jerusalem on May 6 (Reuters)
The war between Hamas militants in Gaza and Israeli's military was
renewed on Monday, when militants fired dozes of rockets into Israel,
and Israel's military responded with missile strikes, killing 20
people in Gaza, including nine children, according to Gaza officials.
This was the worst such violence that has occurred in year, since the
2014 summer war. Hamas militants have fired rockets into southern
Israel at intervals for years, but this was a major escalation because
the rockets targeted Jerusalem. Explosions could be heard in
Jerusalem, and one of the rockets damaged a home on the outskirts of
Jerusalem. Israel struck many of the rockets down, using their "Iron
Dome" anti-missile system, and others exploded harmlessly in open
areas.
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the rocket attacks had
"crossed a red line":
<QUOTE>"Israel will respond very forcefully. We will not
tolerate attacks on our territory, our capital, our citizens and
our soldiers. Whoever strikes us will pay a heavy
price."<END QUOTE>
Hamas launched the rocket attacks after a 6 pm deadline passed for an
ultimatum that demanded that Israeli police withdraw from the Al-Aqsa
mosque in East Jerusalem. Hamas also demanded the release of all
detained Palestinians, and the removal of Jewish settlers from an East
Jerusalem neighbourhood.
Hamas said that Israel was waging a "religious war against Palestinian
worshipers" in Jerusalem.
<QUOTE>"What is happening in the Al-Aqsa Mosque at the time
of storming and assaulting worshipers is proof of the brutality of
the Zionist occupation.
[Israel is responsible for its] incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The occupation will pay a heavy price."<END QUOTE>
So both sides are promising "a heavy price."
Terminology:
- Neutral: West Bank, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem
- Pro-Palestinian: Occupied West Bank, Occupied East Jerusalem,
Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
- Pro-Israeli: Judea and Samaria, Temple Mount Compound.
****
**** Israeli police storm Al-Aqsa Mosque after violent Palestinian protests
****
Map of holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City (BBC)
Hamas militias set the 6 pm deadline and launched the rockets as a
reaction to a situation of escalating violence is occurring for weeks
in Jerusalem. Typically, these situations worsen for a while, then
begin to settle down and fizzle. But we know that one day one of
these situations will escalate into a full war, but we don't know
which one. So far, this situation is triggering a larger war, to
include Hamas.
The epicenter of violence in the last few weeks is the Al-Aqsa mosque
compound, which is Islam's third-holiest site, behind Mecca and
Medina. It is also a major holy site for Jews, who refer to it as the
Temple Mount. So it's not surprising that it's a major flash point
for Palestinian worshippers and Israeli nationalists.
On Monday, Palestinians hurled rocks, other heavy objects and
firecrackers at Israeli policemen. Israeli police stormed the mosque,
firing stun grenades and rubber bullets inside the mosque. Hundreds
of Palestinians were wounded, and dozens were hospitalized.
This kind of violence has been going on daily since the start of
Ramadan on April 13. This is the worst violence in years between
Israeli police and Palestinians in East Jerusalem. In April,
Israeli police blocked off access to a part of the Old City, giving
Covid restrictions as the reason. Then a TikTok video went viral
apparently showing an Israeli being abused by an Arab. That's when
right-wing extremist Jewish settlers held a large demonstration,
chanting "Death to Arabs." Palestinians heard about this, and a crowd
responded by throwing firecrackers and setting garbage bins on fire.
(See 24-Apr-2021 World View: Violence grows between Palestinians and far-right Jews in East Jerusalem)
Clashese between Palestinians and settlers have occurred almost daily
since then. The violence has spiked in recent days as Jewish settlers
are asking the Israeli courts to evict Palestinians from their homes,
so that the Israeli settlers can take their place. The settlers claim
that the land occupied by the Palestinian homes belonged to their
Jewish ancestors prior to the 1948 creation of Israel.
These are the last days of Ramadan but, more significantly, Monday is
Israel's "Jerusalem Day," which celebrates Israel's capture of East
Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war.
Israel's government took two steps to try to defuse the violence.
First, a court hearing scheduled for Monday was postponed a month.
The court hearing would have finalized the decision to evict
Palestinians from homes. These threatened evictions would have
severely escalated the clashes between Palestinians and settlers.
The other step was to cancel a scheduled march by Israeli right-wing
nationalists and settlers, in celebration of Jerusalem Day. The
parade would have marched through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's
Old City, which the Palestinians said would be highly provocative.
These two steps reduced some of the violence, although they've
apparently infuriated the Israeli nationalists. Nationalist Israelis
demonstrated against the moves.
Generational Dynamics predicts that the Israelis and Palestinians will
be re-fighting the 1948 war that followed the partitioning of
Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel. However, this new
situation so far shows signs that it's more likely to fizzle, rather
than expand into a larger regional war. The US State Department is
pressuring Israel to back off, and the United Nations, Egypt and Qatar
are mediating between Israel and Hamas to halt the fighting.
However, the violence is expected to continue for at least several
weeks and months. The court hearing to evict Palestinians from their
homes has not been canceled, but has been postponed for a month, so we
can't expect the clashes between Palestinians and Israelis around the
Al-Aqsa Mosque to end for at least that period of time. That will
lead to more demands by the Hamas militants for at least that period
of time. Perhaps the worst that will happen will be like the 2014
summer war between Hamas and Israel that last 67 days.
Sources:
- US National Security Advisor addresses Israeli counterpart on Jerusalem violence (Jerusalem Post, 10-May-2021)
- Israel pushes back against US ‘concern’ over Jerusalem violence (Times Of Israel, 10-May-2021)
- Violence Spreads on Day Israel Marks Control of Jerusalem (Bloomberg, 10-May-2021)
- Middle EastJerusalem violence leads to Hamas rockets on Israel, nine dead in Gaza (Reuters, 10-May-2021)
- Live Updates | Jerusalem Clashes: Contentious Jewish March Canceled After Gaza Rocket Fire (Haaretz, 10-May-2021)
- Jerusalem violence: Deadly air strikes hit Gaza after rocket attacks (BBC, 10-May-2021)
- '20 killed' in Gaza Strip air strikes after Hamas fires rockets towards Jerusalem (Sky News, 10-May-2021)
- Hamas targets Jerusalem after clashes at revered mosque (AP, 10-May-2021)
- Israel kills 20 Palestinians in Gaza, wounds hundreds in Al Aqsa raid (TRTWorld, Turkey, 10-May-2021)
- Al-Aqsa Mosque: Israeli forces attack Palestinian worshippers leaving dozens injured (Mideast Eye, 8-May-2021)
- Jerusalem: Violent clashes at Al-Aqsa mosque (Deutsche-Welle, 8-May-2021)
- Arab world condemns Israel Police for violent Temple Mount clashes (Jerusalem Post / Reuters, 8-May-2021)
- Palestinians, Israel Police Clash at Al-Aqsa Mosque; Dozens Hurt (VOA, 8-May-2021)
- Scores of Palestinians hurt as Israel police storm Al Aqsa: Live (Al-Jazeera, 8-May-2021)
- Hundreds injured as Israeli police, Palestinians clash at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque (France24, 8-May-2021)
Related Articles:
- 24-Apr-2021 World View: Violence grows between Palestinians and far-right Jews in East Jerusalem)
- Qatar provides $15 million in aid to Gaza, will mediate electricity issues and Cyprus seaport (11-Nov-2018)
- Israel backs down from full-scale attack on Gaza after family escapes rocket (20-Oct-2018)
- Channeling Sisyphus, Trump and Abbas say Mideast peace not as hard as it looks (04-May-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Israel, West Bank, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem,
Gaza, Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu,
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Temple Mount Compound, Jerusalem Day
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
