[Current Affairs] April 27, 2021 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for FPSC Test Preparation

2. Clashes in Jerusalem – what you need to know

What’s going on? Tension between Israelis and Palestinians has intensified since Ramzan started this year. Israeli police and Palestinians have been clashing on a regular basis at night.

But why? Jerusalem. The city is holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews. The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is located in Jerusalem’s Old City. The site is considered the third holiest in Islam, and the holiest for Jews, who call it, Temple Mount.

The details: Palestinians are accusing Israeli police of trying to block off access to the Old City’s Damascus Gate, where Muslims usually get together in the evening during Ramzan after fasting during the day. There is reportedly a ban on gatherings.

Tell me more: Palestinians are also angry about an anti-Arab march in the area. A far-right Jewish nationalist group called, Lehava, led a march where hundreds of protestors chanted things like “Arabs get out.” According to The Associated Press, some TikTok videos allegedly show Palestinians slapping ultra-orthodox Jews, while other videos show Jewish hardliners assaulting or bullying Arabs.

The context: Last week on Thursday, hundreds of Palestinians reportedly threw stones and bottles at Israeli police. The police fired water cannons and stun grenades to break up the protestors. Several Palestinians were wounded in that encounter. The next day, dozens of Palestinians marched towards the Old City and clashed with police. Police claim the protestors threw stones and other objects at officers. Six Palestinians were injured. On late Friday/early Saturday, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired rockets towards Israel. Israeli air defenses intercepted some of the missiles, and others fell near Gaza. The clashes continued into Sunday.

A little history: In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that divided Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. In 1948, the State of Israel was created, followed by the first Arab-Israeli War. Israel won. 750,000 Palestinians were displaced, and the territory was divided into three parts. In 1967, Israel won another war, and got more territory, including east Jerusalem. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state. The future of Jerusalem is still a very sensitive subject. Overall, concerns about Palestinian self-determination and self-governance haven’t been resolved. The Israeli-Palestinian peace process is at a standstill.

The bottom line: Can you guess whose side Pakistan is on? The Palestinian Arabs. In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said it’s concerned about “alarming developments” in what it calls “occupied Palestinian territories.” The Foreign Office condemned the alleged violence against Palestinians. According to the statement, Pakistan “supports the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination” and “a two-state solution.”