Jordan condemns Israel's response to end 'provocations and aggression’ in East Jerusalem

After at least 105 Palestinians were wounded in East Jerusalem in confrontation with the 300 far-right Jewish extremists on Thursday who launched an attack on Palestinians chanting ‘death to Arabs’, Jordan on Sunday slammed Israel for inept actions to douse the tensions in the city. Asking the Israeli authorities to end 'provocations and aggression’ against East Jerusalem's Palestinians, Jordan said that Israel was “allowing extremists” to attack Palestinians' in East Jerusalem, according to Hareetz. The US, meanwhile, called to “end the incitement” as violent attacks flared outside the walled Old City between the Palestinians and far-right Israelis where police barred the entrances to spots where Palestinians congregated. 

A group of extremist Israelis, meanwhile, threatened to burn the city, injuring at least 22 so badly that they were rushed to emergency service for medical intervention. In order to bring the situation under control, police used stun grenades, tear gas, and water cannons on the Palestinian protesters, the Arab News reported. The office of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas berated "the growing incitement by extremist far-right Israeli settler groups advocating for the killing of Arabs".

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi condemned "racist attacks" by Israelis against Palestinians in East Jerusalem in a statement, and called for "international action to protect them"."Jerusalem is a red line, and touching it, is playing with fire," he warned.

In a statement, Palestinian minister of Jerusalem affairs, Fadi Hidmi denounced the violence, demanding immediate protection to lives in East Jerusalem against Jewish aggression. “The intention of the extremists was known beforehand, yet the Israeli police failed to provide the most basic of protection to the Palestinian people of East Jerusalem,” Hidmi said. Palestine’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called the anti-Palestinian violence in Jerusalem “state terror.” Israeli deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, told Arab News that the aggression started after viewers watched a TikTok video showing the Arab men assaulting an ultra-orthodox man. The video “caused an escalation that has brought Jewish and Arab extremists to riots,” she said.  Furthermore, Hassan-Nahoum, called the Jewish group, Lahava, “a bunch of extremists” that confronted the police and making quelling of protests difficult. 

Israel PM asks for 'restraint'

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called for "calm on all sides" in response to the Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem unrest. However, in a Twitter update, Netanyahu warned that Israel remains "prepared for all scenarios". Several rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, who, in turn, launched a retaliatory military response. As many as thirty-six rockets were shot into Gaza overnight by the Israeli army as clashes between the Palestinians and police in Jerusalem raged on.

"First of all we want to ensure that law and order are respected, now we demand compliance with the law and I call for calm on all sides," Netanyahu said in a statement, after the emergency security meeting with senior officials, including army chief Aviv Kohavi.  "We uphold freedom of religion for all residents and visitors of Jerusalem," he added. The US, meanwhile, called for "calm and unity” between Palestinians and the right-wing Israelis. "The rhetoric of extremist protesters chanting hateful and violent slogans must be firmly rejected," State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted.