It was no coincidence that Mohammed Deif, the head of Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, issued a call last week for the residents of east Jerusalem to clash with Israeli security forces.
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If there is one thing that can unite the politically divided Palestinian people it is Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and more specifically, the assertion that "the Zionist occupation forces seek to change the status-quo on Al-Aqsa and the Judaification of Jerusalem by expelling Palestinian families in favor of Jews."
Hamas has been able to get an image boost by exploiting the fact that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had called off what was supposed to be the first Palestinian elections in 15 years, and blamed Israel for it, citing its refusal to allow voting in east Jerusalem.
Hamas continued to agitate the situation on the ground in an effort to provoke them into clashing with Israeli security forces.
We are facing some crucial dates. The last week of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, Jerusalem Day, which Israel marks on Monday, and the Nakba, which the Palestinians will mark in mid-May.
This makes it easier for Hamas to harp on the notion that there is an Israel-Zionist conspiracy to take over the Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, as well as take over the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Add to that Abbas' incitement, on official PA media, calling on Palestinians in east Jerusalem to riot – a call that was only aggravated by the conduct and statements of Israeli politicians who, rather than try to de-escalate the situation, only agitate it further.
Then, of course, we must also remember that Ramallah and Gaza are looking at the political chaos in Israel and believe that the era of the current leadership is over.
The current violence in Jerusalem, which is already threatening to spill over to Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip, is just a prelude to what will come.
There are many radical elements in east Jerusalem just waiting to jump at the chance to escalate the situation further by causing clashes between Jews and Arabs.
The coming days will be crucial as they will either see the riots trickle down to the West Bank and prompt rocket fire from Gaza, which in turn could spark a military conflict between Hamas and the IDF, or they will see the security forces quell the riots in Jerusalem and restore order.
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