The armed Palestinian terror group Lions’ Den on Friday called for a “day of rage” and riots in east Jerusalem, sparking concern as hundreds of Gazans gathered in protest at Israel’s southern border.
Residents of east Jerusalem were urged to set tires alight and declare civil disobedience by blocking streets and destroying police surveillance cameras – as tensions continue to build between Israel and Palestinians in the region.
In its statement, the Lions’ Den pledged to “respond to the occupation police’s attacks,” adding: “We are with you, our hearts are with you, and we will always fight with you.”
The Lions Den is an apolitical group established by those who left other Palestinian factions to “fight the Israeli occupation” and “free the homeland.” While Israel’s security echelon claims popularity and support from Palestinians of Lions’ Den was waning, that is not the case in the West Bank and Yerushalayim.
Friday’s threats came after online videos purportedly showed Israeli forces roughly handling Palestinian children at the Shuafat Refugee Camp checkpoint when they refused to be searched.
Israel’s internal security service the Shin Bet warned that the calls from the Lions’ Den should be taken seriously and said it was preparing for the “day of rage,” despite the threat being relatively unclear as there is always a tense calm in the region. But for Palestinians in east Jerusalem, the situation is difficult. The consequences for acting upon such calls for riots could result in life-ending measures, so residents are cautious as to how they will protest.
Meanwhile, Gazans gathered in the hundreds at Israel’s border with the Palestinian enclave near the security fence, where they set tires on fire. Israeli forces fired at some of the demonstrators to disperse the crowd, which eventually left the security barrier area, according to reports from Gaza’s governing Hamas movement.
Tensions continue to fester ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, particularly in Yerushalayim. In a meeting earlier this week, Israel’s security establishment said factions in Gaza were not interested in encouraging calm, and it was unclear what could happen in the coming months.
But one thing remains clear – both sides are incredibly cautious. –i24 News
“Day of Rage” is the name for a planned, yet “spontaneous” pogrom.
I hope Ned Price and the FBI will investigate this threat.
Remember Rockefeller in 1969, below 110th Street is mine, above, they can kill each other off.
You probably don’t even understand what he said.