Riot Police On the Streets of Jerusalem After Thousands of Protesters Demand Peace and Justice
Thousands of peace protesters marched in Israel, the West Bank and
across the Gaza Strip on Friday in condemnation of the Israeli
government’s violations of former agreements related to the Al-Aqsa
mosque complex. Additionally, some of the protesters told our reporters,
they were rallying against the former and current policies of
discrimination against Palestinians in Jerusalem.
Many of the protesters in Gaza gathered in the Jabaliya refugee camp,
where a large group embarked, marched, chanting and holding pictures of
Mutaz Hijazi.
Hijazi was a resident of Jerusalem who was killed by an Israeli
soldier early on Thursday. The group sang and chanted in support of
Palestinian equal rights in Jerusalem.
Fathi Hammad, a Hamas leader in Gaza said that Palestinians cannot be
silent in the face of racist violations against Palestinians in
Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque. The Al-Aqsa mosque is currently
closed. This is the first time this pivotal holy site has been closed
since 1967.
Many experts in the socio-religious conflict between Israelis and
Palestinians note that this is a disturbing move. Mikhah ben David of
the Hashlamah Project Foundation,
which is active globally and in Jerusalem, notes that “there seems to
be a steady escalation that unfortunately which unfortunately seems to
be building towards a broader conflict than we have seen in years.”
