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<h1 class="title">The story behind the Jerusalem attack: How Trump
and Netanyahu pushed Palestinians to a corner</h1>
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<div class="stamp">July 18, 2017 - By: Ramzy Baroud - <font
size="-2"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=778168">http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=778168</a></font><br>
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<span style="font-style: italic;"><a
href="http://www.ramzybaroud.net/"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ramzy
Baroud</a> is an internationally syndicated columnist,
author, and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest
book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story.<br>
<br>
</span>
<div style="font-style: normal;">In early October 2016, <a
href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/misbah-abu-sbeih-reached-breaking-point-family-161011102251854.html"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Misbah
Abu Sbeih</a> left his wife and five children at home and
then drove to an Israeli police station in occupied
Palestinian East Jerusalem.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">The 39-year-old Jerusalemite
was scheduled to hand himself over to serve a term of four
months in jail for, allegedly, trumped-up charges of “trying
to hit an Israeli soldier.”<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Misbah was familiar with
Israeli prisons, having been held there before on political
charges, including an attempt to sneak into and pray at the
Al-Aqsa Mosque.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">The Al-Aqsa Mosque is part of a
large compound known as <a
href="http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2015/11/jerusalem-dividing-al-aqsa-151110154741523.html"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Haram
al-Sharif</a>, which includes -- aside from Al-Aqsa -- the
famed Dome of the Rock and other Palestinian Muslim sites,
revered by Muslims everywhere.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Al-Aqsa is believed to be the <a
href="http://www.aljazeera.net/encyclopedia/citiesandregions/2014/11/8/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AC%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%89"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">second
mosque ever to be built</a>, the first being Masjid al-Haram
in Mecca. The Holy Quran mentions it as the place from which
Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, journeying from Mecca to
Jerusalem.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">For Palestinians, Muslims, and
Christians alike, the Mosque took on a new meaning following
the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian city of al-Quds
(East Jerusalem) in 1967.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;"><a
href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/06/50-years-israeli-occupation-longest-modern-history-170604111317533.html"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Scenes
of Israeli soldiers</a> raising the Israeli flag over Muslim
and Christian shrines in the city fifty years ago, are burnt
into the collective memory of several generations.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Unsurprisingly, therefore, the
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has been the <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/content/israels-latest-provocation-al-aqsa/8749"
style="text-decoration-line: none;">focal point of clashes</a>
between Palestinian worshipers and the Israeli army.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Daily visitors to the Muslim
holy shrines in Jerusalem include non-Muslims tourists. They
are often welcomed by the <a
href="http://www.alternativenews.org/index.php/features-02/221-dangerous-politics-behind-israeli-visits-to-al-aqsa-mosque"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Al-Waqf</a>
administration, which is the Islamic religious trust that
manages the holy shrines, a practice dating back 500 years.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Even after the Israeli
occupation of the Arab city, al-Waqf has continued to be the
caretaker of the Muslim site, as arranged between the
Jordanian government and Israel.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Israeli design in the occupied
city, however, is far greater than the mosque itself. Last
April, the Israeli government <a
href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-settlements-idUSKBN17U1OS"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">announced
plans</a> to build 15,000 new housing units in occupied
Jerusalem, contrary to international law.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">The international community
recognizes East Jerusalem as a Palestinian city. The United
States, too, accepts international consensus on Jerusalem, and
attempts by the US Congress to challenge the White House on
this understanding have all failed. That is, until Donald
Trump came to power.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Prior to his inauguration in
January, Trump had promised to relocate the American embassy
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The announcement was welcomed by
Israeli right-wing politicians and extremists alike. Many of
Israel's supporters in the US saw this as a good sign for the
Trump presidency.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">While the US embassy has yet to
officially move to Jerusalem, the new administration is
sending a message that it is no longer bound by international
law with regard to the occupied territories.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Not only is the US abandoning
its self-tailored role as a “peace broker” between Israel and
the Palestinian leadership, but it is sending a clear signal
to Israel that there can be no pressure on Israel regarding
the status of Jerusalem.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">In response, the United Nations
and its various institutions have moved quickly to reassure
Palestinians.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">The UN cultural agency, UNESCO,
has been the most active in this regard. Despite US-Israeli
pressure, several resolutions have been passed by UNESCO and
the UN General Assembly in recent months, which have
reaffirmed Palestinian rights in the city.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Israel and the US moved to
punish Palestinians for UNESCO’s decisions.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">It began when the Israeli
Knesset began pushing laws that make life even more difficult
for Palestinian Jerusalemites, including a law that <a
href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-bill-mosque-call-to-prayer-muslim-islam-mosque-pass-first-reading-parliament-a7620336.html"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">limits
the Muslim call for prayer</a>. The law, which passed its
second reading last March, was championed by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Israeli police expanded the
ever-growing list of Palestinians who are not allowed to reach
their houses of worship. The list included Misbah Abu Sbeih,
who was repeatedly arrested, beaten, and incarcerated by the
Israeli police.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">The Israeli government then
opened up the floodgates of settlement expansion in the
occupied city, after being partially limited during the
presidency of Barack Obama. In part, that was Netanyahu’s
response to <a
href="https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12657.doc.htm"
style="text-decoration-line: none;">UN Resolution 2334</a>,
which demanded an immediate halt to Israeli settlement
construction in Jerusalem and the occupied territories.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Concurrently, the new US
ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, took on the task of
silencing any international criticism of the Israeli
occupation, calling international attempts to end the
occupation a form of “<a
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-un-bullies-israel--haley-tells-netanyahu-in-jerusalem/2017/06/07/c4796a58-4b7a-11e7-b69d-c158df3149e9_story.html"
style="text-decoration-line: none;">bullying.”</a><br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Assured by the unconditional US
support, Netanyahu moved to new extremes. He severed his
country's <a
href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/israel-suspends-unesco-ties-al-aqsa-resolution-161014094246490.html"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">ties
with UNESCO</a> and called for the dismantlement of UN
headquarters in the occupied Palestinian city.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">East Jerusalem was already
illegally annexed by Israel in 1980, but without international
acceptance of such a measure, the Israeli move seemed
pointless.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Now, Israel feels that times
are changing, as the Trump administration offers Israel a
window of opportunity to normalize its illegal occupation and
annexation of the city.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">In recent months, Palestinians
have responded in myriad ways. They have worked with various
countries across the globe to challenge the Israeli-US plans.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Most Palestinian efforts,
although successful to some extent, have failed to sway Israel
in any way.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">The political upheaval has
translated on the ground to more violence, as thousands of
Israeli occupation soldiers and police were rushed to the city
to restrict Palestinian movement and to block thousands of
worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa. Hundreds were detained in a
massive security campaign.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">In the absence of a strong
leadership, Palestinians are growing increasingly desperate
and angry. The Palestinian Authority is largely busy in its
own pitiful power struggles and appears to have no time for
Palestinians, who are left with little hope for a political
horizon and no clear sense of direction.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">While thousands of Palestinians
have resisted through constantly attempting to reach Al-Aqsa
or demonstrated in protest, others are “reaching the breaking
point.” One was Misbah Abu Sbeih.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Once he arrived at the Israeli
military police station, Mishbah did not give himself up.
Instead, he opened fire, killing an Israeli army officer from
the Yassam unit and another Israeli. He was killed instantly.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Other attacks followed. On
Friday, July 14, the holiest day of the week in the Muslim
calendar, three Palestinian men attacked Israeli soldiers and
police officers stationed near one of the Haram's gates.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">They <a
href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/palestinians-killed-shooting-jerusalem-city-170714045419071.html"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">killed
two Israeli officers</a>, and were killed by occupation
soldiers, soon after. This is the first time that an attack of
this nature has been recorded inside the Al-Aqsa compound.
Since 1967, only Israelis have used arms in violent clashes
with Palestinians. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed
in or around this holy shrine throughout the years.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Last June in Jerusalem,
speaking to a crowd celebrating the 50th anniversary of the
Israeli military occupation of the city, <a
href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/03/un-wrongly-singling-israel-criticism-says-us-ambassador-nikki/"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Netanyahu
declared</a> that the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound would "forever
remain under Israeli sovereignty."<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">Empowered by the Trump
administration and assured by Haley's tactics at the UN,
Netanyahu feels that his dream of subduing East Jerusalem is
being realized. The price of Netanyahu’s dream, however, is
likely to be costly.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">On the day of the attack, <a
href="http://www.palestinechronicle.com/israeli-forces-kill-two-teenagers-in-jenin/"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">several
Palestinians</a> were killed in various parts of the West
Bank and a 3-year-old <a
href="http://www.palestinechronicle.com/3-year-old-child-dies-due-to-lack-of-facilities-in-gaza/"
style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">child
from Gaza</a> died while awaiting a permit to cross from the
besieged region to the West Bank for treatment. None of this
registered in international media. The armed Palestinian
attack on Israeli soldiers, however, made headlines around the
world.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal;">More violence is likely to
follow. Palestinians, who are dying without much media
coverage, are desperate and angry as their holy city is
crumbling under the heavy boots of soldiers, amid
international silence and unconditional US support for the
Israeli government.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div><span style="font-style: italic;">The views expressed in
this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect
Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.</span></div>
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