Palestinians and Israeli forces have clashed at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque for a third straight day, as Israeli forces were seen on the roof of the holy site. Suleiman Ahmad, the president of Jerusalem’s Affairs Department, who was at the scene, told Al Jazeera that at least 36 Palestinians were injured in the clashes early Thursday.”They have placed snipers on the rooftops and are using rubber bullets,” Ahmad said.The site of the mosque is revered as holy by Jews and Muslims and is a frequent flashpoint of violence. Palestinians inside Al-Aqsa threw stones and fireworks at the Israeli forces and set up barricades to prevent them from closing the entrance to the mosque. The police forces eventually closed the doors to the mosque with the Palestinians still inside. Israeli police were trying to allow Jewish activists to tour the courtyards of the mosque, which in the past has stirred angry reactions from Palestinians who fear Israel may change the rules for visiting the Al-Aqsa compound. As the clashes enter the fourth day, this week incidentally marks the 33rd anniversary of the horrifying massacre of Palestinian families in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon. Thousands were killed by Lebanese right-wing militias who were backed by the Israeli army. Over three decades on, Israel continues implementing its policy of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians. That is why Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of ‘waging a fierce and relentless war against the dispossessed nation in Jerusalem.
To supplement that concern, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz has appealed to the United Nations Security Council to take ‘urgent measures\’, and come to the rescue of the Palestinians, as Israeli highhandedness is contributing to extremism and violence across the region. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should closely read between the lines and initiate action against the Jewish state. At a time when the world community is putting in all available resources to stem the marching tide of Daesh, and the like, it has to take a holistic look as to what is the reason behind revulsions in the Middle East. It is, in fact, the Palestinian-Israeli imbroglio that is at the heart of disputes, as all uprising in the region and beyond are in retaliation to the injustices committed against the Palestinians and the Arabs in this part of the world. The UN chief should take note of King Salman’’s appeal and personally involve himself in the region to make the difference felt.The onus is also on US President Barack Obama to make sure that his vision of two-state solution is realised and Israel is tamed from going berserk once again in the region. Israeli transgression inside Syrian territory, as it flew sorties last month, and the continued harassment of Palestinians in the occupied territories is acting as fuel to the fire. Serious and speedy international efforts are needed to address the crisis, which are territorial, political and geostrategic in essence. Once the Palestinian issue is addressed, tacking upheavals in the region will be an altogether different ballgame.
pk.shafaqna.com
