The Israeli state, once again, established itself as a bully state for the Palestinians as the Israeli police invaded the Al-Aqsa mosque in a pre-dawn attack, arrested more than 350 people, and injured several people who had gathered there to offer prayers. Despite the fact several Muslim states have normalized their ties with Israel, the Jewish state has not shown any sign of leniency towards the Palestinians and has continued killing them at will, without any international protest or outcry. What the Israeli police claim is they were chasing certain individuals who had “violently barricaded” themselves inside the mosque, but the people present in the compound refute the Israeli claims, saying the attack was provocative and this has been the routine of the Israeli forces for decades.
The Israeli state uses such incidents to trigger the emotions of Muslims across the world and provoke the Palestinians. There have been several instances in recent years where the Israeli government has attacked Al Aqsa mosque during Ramazan. In 2019, the Israeli police attacked Palestinian worshipers at the mosque during the final days of Ramazan. The police entered the mosque compound and fired tear gas and stun grenades at the worshipers. The incident led to condemnation from Palestinian leaders and calls for international intervention.
In 2021, the Israelis struck again and attacked Palestinians at the mosque during Ramazan. Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at Palestinians who were praying at the mosque, injuring hundreds. The clashes were sparked by plans to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the nearby Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
These incidents only attract short-lived criticism from the international community, with many calling for an end to the violence and for Israel to respect the rights of Palestinians to worship at their holy sites. The Israeli government has little regard for such statements and continues to use violence to further escalate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Tensions suit Israelis as they hinder efforts towards peace in the region.
