[Current Affairs] 10 May, 2021 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for PPSC Test Preparation

2. The Prime Minister condemns violence in Jerusalem

What’s going on? Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, tweeted a statement about recent events at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. He said “we must reiterate support for the Palestinian people.” He also called on the international community to help protect Palestinians and their rights. Al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third holiest site. It is also known as Temple Mount, which is considered the holiest site in Judaism.

Friday: Violence erupted at Al-Aqsa Mosque when thousands of Palestinians gathered to observe the last Friday of Ramzan. It’s not clear what or who exactly started the violence. However, there was a heavy Israeli police presence at the mosque when Palestinians came to pray. Palestinian men reportedly threw chairs, shoes and rocks at Israeli officers in riot gear. Israeli officers fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at the crowd. At least 205 Palestinians and 18 Israeli officers were injured.

Saturday: Palestinian protestors and Israeli police clashed outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinians were praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Islam’s Holy night of Laylat al-Qadr. According to Reuters, Palestinian youth threw stones, lit fires and broke down police barricades leading to the walled Old City gates. Israeli officers on horseback and in riot gear reportedly used stun grenades and water cannons to push back the protestors. The Palestine Red Crescent said at least 80 people were injured, including minors and a one-year-old. Israeli police said one officer was injured. Israeli police claimed they were trying to prevent public disturbances.

The context: There’s more going on in the background. Israel’s Supreme Court is going to decide whether authorities can evict six Palestinian families from East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah district, and give their homes to Jewish settlers. Sheikh Jarrah is known to be a Palestinian residential neighbourhood. Over the past week, Palestinians have staged protests in Sheikh Jarrah. Israeli police have reportedly charged protestors on horseback, sprayed them with skunk water, and thrown stun grenades.

A little history: In 1947, the United Nations (UN) voted to split the British mandate of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. As a result, clashes broke out between Jews and Arabs in Palestine. The state of Israel was created in 1948. Jordan captured the Sheikh Jarrah area in the Arab-Israeli war that same year. Palestinian homes were built on that land in the 1950’s. In 1967, Israel captured the same territory, annexed East Jerusalem, and returned ownership of the Sheikh Jarrah homes to Jewish trusts.

Something to know: At this point, Israeli law gives Jewish settlers a chance to reclaim land that was under Jewish ownership before the 1948 war. However, Palestinian families don’t have the right or legal mechanism to reclaim land they owned in Israel. Hundreds of Arabs were reportedly displaced in that same war.

Looking ahead: The Israeli Supreme Court delayed its decision on whether to evict six Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. The Attorney General asked for more time due to rising tension.

The bottom line: Right-wing Jewish settlers claim the Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah were built on land owned by Jewish associations. However, Palestinians and rights advocates see this as an attempt to remove Arabs from parts of East Jerusalem and reinforce Jewish control. In the long-run, Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state. Protests over the Sheikh Jarrah eviction case spilled over into other parts of Jerusalem during Ramzan, particularly Al-Aqsa Mosque.