As Ramadan approaches, Hamas stokes tensions
As a former Old City resident, who still davens there, I’ve experienced the seething tension, been pushed, shoved, and spit on, and consider myself fortunate, compared to others who have been stabbed or beaten.
Tourists are again flocking here in droves after a two-year Covid travel hiatus. Security officials are steeling themselves for the crowds and the potential for clashes between Jewish and Muslims worshippers as Nissan, the month of our redemption, coincides this year with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Will we see a repeat performance of last year’s disturbances in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, on some scale? Did the first shoe drop last week when a Bedouin villager killed four Jews in a murderous rampage in Be’er Sheva? (See sidebar.)
Two security experts who held a Zoom call with the foreign media in Jerusalem last week contend that no matter what happens during Ramadan, the die has been cast for a long time, and that Israel’s government is ill-equipped for the upcoming battles.
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