There is no actual reason for the latest riots by Palestinians at Jerusalem's Damascus Gate, which included throwing stones at buses carrying Jewish worshippers to the Western Wall and clashes with the police.
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While some might try to justify it โ saying it stems from the ongoing tensions related to the Temple Mount โ the truth is, most rioters are young, unemployed Palestinians with plenty of time on their hands and are, therefore, easily incited to violence in mosques and via social media networks.
When it comes to Jerusalem, such incitement is always a mixture between religion and nationalism. It seems that the current round is an attempt to refuel the violence that has mostly waned since the end of Operation Guardian of the Walls in order to correspond with Hamas' narrative and threats.
Damascus Gate has in recent years become the focal point of such riots with repeated terrorist attacks on soldiers and officers serving in the area. So much so, it was nicknamed by Palestinians as "Gate of the Martyrs" or "Gate of Heroism."
But the recent incidents affect not only the police and Jewish worshippers on their way to the Western Wall, but Arabs living around the Damascus Gate as well.
More than once, the police struggled to differentiate between rioters and residents. In addition, shoppers and tourists often stay away from the area out of fear of violent clashes.
It is high time to get the Palestinian leaders in east Jerusalem involved, to restore order and restrain the rioters, with the understanding that there is no real reason for their protests and that it harms Arab residents and store owners in the area as well.
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