Title : Day of rage expected in Jerusalem as Israel deploys police
link : Day of rage expected in Jerusalem as Israel deploys police
Day of rage expected in Jerusalem as Israel deploys police
- US President Donald Trump sparked fury by officially recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday
- The Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has called for a new 'intifada' uprising against Israel
- Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza braced for violence after Friday prayers and extra police have been deployed
- Muslims in Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Turkey, India and Iran have staged protests during a 'day of rage'
Muslims are staging a 'day of rage' around the world after Friday prayers this morning after Donald Trump officially recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Demonstrations have taken place in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Kashmir today and hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in the West Bank cities of Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah.
Protesters threw stones at Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets while huge crowds rallied outside Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque, a flashpoint site in the holy city and thousands have also taken to the streets in Gaza.
Israeli authorities have deployed hundreds of extra police while soldiers have had all leave cancelled in preparation for the unrest.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, protesters burnt an effigy of Trump outside the US embassy while in Iran, hundreds rallied in the capital, Tehran, chanting 'death to America' and 'death to Israel'. Thousands also marched in Istanbul.
Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem (pictured) today while there were also confrontations in the West Bank cities of Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah in the wake of Donald Trump's new stance on Jerusalem
A 'day of rage' today is expected to erupt in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza today after Donald Trump officially recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. This was the scene as protests turned violent in Bethlehem on Thursday. This was the scene as men threw rocks at police in Nablus, West Bank today
Protesters in Kuala Lumpur burn an effigy of US president Donald Trump during a rally held in response to his decision to recognise Jerusalem as capital of Israel
Protesters hold placards during a demonstration against Trump's decision at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Aceh, Indonesia today
Protestors from Bangladeshi Islamic organisations use their sandals to strike a photo of Trump during a protest rally in Dhaka today
Kashmiri Muslim protesters hold a burning sketch of U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest in Budgam, southwest of Srinagar, India
The Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, called for a new 'intifada', or uprising, and three missiles were fired last night from the coastal territory into Israel.
Two fell short and the third caused no damage, the Israeli military said, and warplanes and tanks were scrambled in response, striking two sites used by Hamas terrorises in Gaza.
On the West Bank, the more moderate Palestinian Authority ordered a general strike.
Schools, universities and shops in Arab areas of Jerusalem were closed amid expectations that thousands of young people would take to the streets in anger today to battle soldiers and police.
This morning, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital by the United States runs counter to common sense.
'This announcement runs counter to common sense,' Lavrov told a news conference in Vienna.
French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed for calm in the region.
Speaking at a meeting to discuss Lebanon, Macron said Trump's decision should not 'add to the instability of the region. I'm issuing a call for calm and responsibility by everyone which is essential for the efforts we are undertaking here.'
As so-called 'day of rage' protests took place in Muslim countries around the world, thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters marched after Friday prayers in Istanbul this morning.
Israeli forces are pictured arresting a Palestinian man in Jerusalem's Old City today as anger mounted over Trump's decision
Palestinian Muslim worshippers shout slogans during Friday prayer at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Jerusalem's Old City today. Israel has deployed hundreds of extra officers ahead of expected clashes today
Israeli forces stand guard in Jerusalem's Old City this morning amid fears of violent protests. Tensions are running high after Trump's dramatic announcement on Wednesday
Royal Malaysian Police are pictured standing guard in front of the US embassy today during a rally held in response to US President Donald J.Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as capital of Israel
Anger: Muslim men burn Israeli and US flags during a protest against Trump's decision in Banda Aceh, Indonesia today
Chanting slogans including 'Jerusalem is ours and will remain so!' and 'down with America, down with Israel', the protesters marched after prayers at the Ottoman Fatih mosque in the centre of Istanbul, the correspondent added. Other protests were planned elsewhere in Istanbul and across Turkey on Friday.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken a strong line against the move and called an emergency summit meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on December 13 in Istanbul.
Last year, Turkey and Israel ended a rift triggered by Israel's storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties.
The two sides have since stepped up cooperation, particularly in energy, but Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, is still often bitterly critical of Israeli policy.
Earlier today, Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia protested outside the U.S. embassies.
In Kuala Lumpur, more than 1,000 protesters led by Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin marched from a nearby mosque after Friday prayers to the U.S. Embassy, halting traffic as they chanted 'Long live Islam' and 'Destroy Zionists.' Many carried banners, some of which said 'Free Palestine' and 'Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.'
Khairy addressed Trump in a speech after handing a protest note to an embassy official, saying 'Mr President, this is an illegal announcement. Jerusalem is an occupied territory. You must not even set foot in Jerusalem. ... The world will rise against the United States.'
'Trump has to understand that Jerusalem is not his to give and the decision for whatever status of Jerusalem should not come from America,' said Ulya Aqamah bin Husamudin, a leader of the political party BERSATU.
Nurul Hidayah Mesari, a student, compared Jerusalem to the holy Muslim cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, saying 'it's as if those places were occupied as well, that's our feeling.'
Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capitol on Wednesday and launched a process to move the U.S. embassy there, casting his decision as an act of political courage
An effigy of Trump was held aloft in Kuala Lumpur today and fitted with a t-shirt saying 'I am demon Trump'
In Jakarta, Muslim men burned a tyre and staged a rally as they hit out at Trump's decision
Kashmiri Muslims hold placards and a photograph of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest this morning against Donald Trump's new stance on Jerusalem
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, more than 300 protesters shouted 'Go to hell Israel!' and called on Trump to stop 'blind support' for the Jewish state. Neither Malaysia nor Indonesia has diplomatic ties with Israel and both are strong supporters of Palestinians.
The protesters marched from mosques to the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, waving Palestinian and Indonesian flags. They burned tires near the embassy and photos of Trump and U.S. and Israeli flags in a similar rally in the cities of Banda Aceh and Makassar. Another protest was held in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city.
Hundreds of Muslim Kashmiris also marched at several places in the main city of Srinagar and other parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir, chanting slogans 'Down with America' and 'Down with Israel.' They burned U.S. and Israeli flags, while authorities imposed a curfew in old parts of Srinagar and disallowed Friday prayers at the city's main mosque for fear protests could morph into violent anti-India rallies.
Kashmiri leaders have called Trump's move 'anti-Muslim.'
It follows widespread unrest across the region yesterday with violence flaring at multiple points and angry demonstrators in Gaza burning Israeli and American flags and images of Mr Trump.
In Bethlehem, on the West Bank, tear gas was fired to dispel rioters along streets decorated with Christmas lights.
There was widespread unrest across the region yesterday with violence flaring at multiple points
On the outskirts of the Palestinian city of Ramallah yesterday, Israeli police fired tear gas and stun grenades at crowds of young men who were throwing stones and burning tyres.
Hundreds of Palestinians also gathered at the plaza outside the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem's Old City, chanting 'Jerusalem is Arab, Jerusalem is Palestinian', and 'Trump, Trump, you will see, Palestine will be free'.
The demonstrators clashed frequently with police as officers attempted to clear them from the plaza.
Three Palestinians were arrested in Jerusalem and more than 100 injured elsewhere as concerns mounted that further unrest was planned for today after Friday prayers, traditionally a febrile time in the region.
Why is Jerusalem important, what makes Donald Trump's intervention so toxic and does anyone else recognise the city as Israel's capital?: SAM GREENHILL explores why today's announcement is so incendiary
What is the status of Jerusalem?
Israel set up its parliament in West Jerusalem when the state of Israel was proclaimed in 1948. The move followed the United Nations' vote to partition Palestine on the basis of the British pledge known as the Balfour Declaration that paved the way for a homeland for the Jewish people.
Israel occupied 78 per cent of the land, with the remaining 22 per cent split between Gaza and the West Bank.
Then, in 1967, during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli war, Israel annexed Arab-controlled East Jerusalem, including the Old City. Israel has claimed ever since that both parts of the city are its 'undivided' capital.
However, Palestinians want East Jerusalem as their capital. Most countries, including Britain, do not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and keep their embassies in Tel Aviv.
Why is Jerusalem so important to both sides?
Chiefly because of its religious history. The Temple Mount in the Old City is the most sacred place in Judaism — the site of Solomon's Temple said to have housed the Ark of the Covenant and destroyed in 586 BC by King of Babylon.
The site is also the third holiest shrine in Islam, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif ('Noble Sanctuary'). It was the scene of Prophet Muhammad's 'Night Journey' ascension from Earth to Heaven in 621. The compound includes Islamic shrines the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The city is also sacred to Christians — Jesus attended a temple in the Old City and was crucified on a hill outside its walls. But it also has hugely important implications for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
What has Donald Trump done and why is his intervention so toxic?
Until now, peacemakers have pursued the strategy that Jerusalem would be part of an overall negotiated settlement, with its status decided in the latter stages of peace talks, with agreement on both sides. But if America jumps to a conclusion on the city's status now — and takes Israel's side — many fear it will undermine the chances of a peace deal. It could also damage America's position as an 'honest broker' between the two sides.
It does not take much to spark violence in the Middle East. In 2000, the Second Intifada — two bloody years of Palestinian suicide bombings and Israeli military killings — started after a visit by the then leader of the Israeli opposition, Ariel Sharon, to the Old City site.
The Temple Mount in the Old City is the most sacred place in Judaism — the site of Solomon's Temple said to have housed the Ark of the Covenant and destroyed in 586 BC by King of Babylon. The compound includes Islamic shrines the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque
How can the status of Jerusalem be peacefully resolved?
Jerusalem is described as the most intractable part of the world's most intractable conflict. But one of the main planks of the peace process is a two-state solution — in which Jerusalem would serve as capital of both states: East Jerusalem for Palestine, West Jerusalem for Israel.
About a third of the people living in Jerusalem are Palestinians. An uneasy co-existence is lived out day-to-day, under the watchful eyes of clusters of armed Israeli police.
Though there is generally free movement around the divided capital, Israeli security forces set up checkpoints to seal off Palestinian neighbourhoods in times of tension, such as a wave of stabbings in 2015.
Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
Jerusalem is governed by a mayor and city council whose members are elected to four-year terms. Palestinian Arabs living in East Jerusalem have the right to vote in Israeli elections, but most refuse to do so.
Mr Trump could now have catastrophically undermined his own Middle East strategy of trying to forge peace — not just between Israel and Palestinians, but also between Israel and Saudi Arabia's Sunni Muslims
How does Trump justify moving the U.S. embassy?
The U.S. embassy is currently in Tel Aviv. To move it to Jerusalem would be a powerfully symbolic and inflammatory gesture in support of Israel and in defiance of Palestinians.
But technically Trump has a legal framework: in 1995, amid lobbying from pro-Israel Americans, the Republican-controlled Congress passed a law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which instructs the President to move the embassy. But all Presidents since Bill Clinton have signed a waiver every six months to prevent that happening.
So why has he done this now?
Mr Trump's move seems driven not by diplomatic calculations, but by a campaign promise and his current low ratings.
In 2016, he appealed to Christian evangelicals and ardently pro-Israel American Jews by vowing to move the embassy. His pledge was extremely popular with these voters, including casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who donated $25 million to the Trump cause. Mr Adelson expressed anger when Mr Trump signed the waiver in June to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv. Advisers said this week Mr Trump was making good on his promise.
Why are all the Arab countries so hostile to the move?
Opinion polls show that at least 90 per cent of Arabs view Israel as their main enemy. So no Arab regime can risk provoking internal political upheaval by appearing to side with the U.S.
Mr Trump could now have catastrophically undermined his own Middle East strategy of trying to forge peace — not just between Israel and Palestinians, but also between Israel and Saudi Arabia's Sunni Muslims.
He wants the Saudis to take on and curb the growing influence of Iran's Shia Muslims — the Sunni's mortal enemies — and their allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The Saudis could now be forced to abandon their gradual clandestine move towards open acceptance of the Jewish state.
Opinion polls show that at least 90 per cent of Arabs view Israel as their main enemy. So no Arab regime can risk provoking internal political upheaval by appearing to side with the U.S
Do other countries recognise Jerusalem as the capital?
The world — including China — is virtually united in not recognising Israel's claim to Jerusalem as its undivided capital.
One exception is the Pacific island of Vanuatu, which recognised it in May this year. Its late president, Baldwin Lonsdale, was an evangelical Christian who was described as having 'a strong connection to the Jewish people and to Israel'.
Taiwan also considers Jerusalem as Israel's capital. However, Israel does not even recognise Taiwan as a country.
Russia's position is slightly ambiguous but seems to leave room for the city to be Israel's capital in the event of a peace deal.
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