The Arab Public in Israel: Growing Tension toward the End of Ramadan and the Approach of Eid al-Fitr | INSS
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Home Posts The Arab Public in Israel: Growing Tension toward the End of Ramadan and the Approach of Eid al-Fitr

The Arab Public in Israel: Growing Tension toward the End of Ramadan and the Approach of Eid al-Fitr
Ephraim Lavie, Mohammed S. Wattad, Meir Elran 22 April, 2023
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The shooting deaths of two men suspected of terror attacks continue to arouse anger among the Arab public. Mohammed Khaled al-Asibi, a medical school graduate from Hura, was shot close to the Temple Mount, and Yousef Abu Jaber, 45, from Kfar Qasem, was shot on the boardwalk in Tel Aviv. The two had no security, political, or criminal background, and their profiles do not match that of the lone wolf terrorist. The quick closure of the investigation in the first case and the lack of clarity regarding the investigation of the second case deepen the Arab public's lack of trust in the police and the Department of Internal Police Investigations.

The cases jog the collective memory of the killing by policemen of Ya'qub Abu al-Qia’an from Umm al-Hiran in the Negev, and the autistic man Iyad al-Hallak from East Jerusalem, both of whom proved to be innocent. The sequence of cases increases the concern that the police are quick to shoot Arabs, and that shooting police officers are not held accountable for their actions.

These events and the severe clashes between police and Muslim worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque had the potential to flare up widely during Ramadan. In practice, impromptu protests and demonstrations were observed in some Arab communities. The prayers were held, commerce in Jerusalem’s Old City continued in a festive atmosphere, and both the funeral of al-Asibi in Hura and the one-day strike, which was announced by the Supreme Monitoring Committee, ended uneventfully. The Arab leadership behaved responsibly and did not try to inflame the atmosphere. The government's decision to prevent Jews from visiting the Temple Mount during the last ten days of Ramadan contributed to the general calm, as well as to the holding of the sensitive prayer on Laylat al-Qadr without interruption.

This complex reality reflects the pragmatism of Arab society in Israel, which despite the challenging political and security background, is not prone to slip into violence, certainly not to revolt against the state. At the same time, the existing tensions in the society as a result of the cumulative events and the manner in which they were handled, and the possibility of acts of provocation by extreme right wing Jews even at the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, may lead to disturbances near the Arab towns and cities with mixed Arab and Jewish populations. Meantime, the severe violence continues in Arab society, where more than twice as many people have been murdered since the beginning of the year than in the corresponding period last year.

It is therefore of great importance for the police to continue to work to prevent the development of extreme negative nationalist and religious attitudes among Arabs and Jews, and to curb the activities of extremist groups and lawbreakers from both sides. Also, it is imperative that the Israel Defense Forces and the police thoroughly investigate the shootings that took place during Ramadan in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and present objective findings to the public.

Topics: Military and Strategic Affairs
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