Police data revealed this week a dramatic increase in the number of charges filed against Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount's Al-Aqsa compound for violating the rules of the site.

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The number showed that while in 2016, only one such case was recorded, by 2022, the figure increased to 63.

On the other hand, the number of indictments has decreased in recent years. In 2018, nine indictments were filed, while in 2022 only three.

Cases rarely result in indictments as while Jews are not allowed to pray, sing the national anthem, or wave an Israeli flag at the site, these are not actual legal offenses.

Of the 75 cases opened, only four made it to court, with most offenses cited as "hindering a police officer in the course of duty" or "disorderly conduct that disturbs public peace."

The data was published by Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple group, which had submitted a freedom of information request to the police.

Tom Nisani, director of Beyadenu, harshly criticized the police for the spike in the number of charges, accusing them of abusing their power.

He called on law enforcement to "start treating Jews as they treat anyone who ascends the mountain."

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Security forces are bracing for expected further escalation on the Temple Mount, with the IDF, Israel Police, and the Shin Bet security agency on high alert ahead of the last Friday of Ramadan this week, when the annual anti-Israel Quds Day – the final Friday in the Holy Month of Ramadan, which has traditionally marked by many in the Muslim world (especially pro-Iranian elements and terrorist organizations) with anti-Israel demonstrations.

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On Wednesday, Palestinian terror organizations called for a mass pilgrimage to the site and Hamas warned Israel against "any act of folly in Al-Aqsa Mosque toward the worshipers and our people in occupied Jerusalem."

Thousands of police officers will be deployed in and around Jerusalem out of fear riots on the Temple Mount might lead to a regional escalation. Officers have been instructed to increase vigilance and respond decisively to any attempts to disrupt peace.

Forces will also be stationed on the outskirts of Jerusalem as well as in Judea and Samaria and the mixed city of Lod.

One police official said there was worry Hamas might cast tension over the Temple Mount as a victory. "We will do everything to protect the freedom of worship, but we will not allow hostile activity on the mountain," he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered to temporarily cease the ascent of Jewish worshippers to the site. The move was largely supported by the security echelon, except for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who harshly criticized the move.

"When terror strikes us, we must strike back with tremendous force, and not surrender," he said.

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An organization that wants to counter the Jewish presence in Jerusalem has apparently been offering free Wi-Fi to tourists in the Old City as a means of furthering anti-Zionist propaganda, Israel Hayom has learned. 

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The non-governmental organization Burj Al-Luqluq has filled the void left in the area after authorities stopped offering free service several weeks ago. Under the new situation, the NGO allows users to get connectivity if they sign up through a special form. After doing so, the network automatically redirects them to a screen where they can download a popular game called "Protector of Al-Aqsa", in which rioters fight the "Zionists" in an effort to counter the Judaization of the city. 

The Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs said in a statement that it lacks the authority to take action against organizations that independently offer connection to their networks, referring the matter to the Ministry of Communications. 

"The ministry has been implementing together with the Communications Ministry a program to bolster the Israeli internet infrastructure in every neighborhood in east Jerusalem," it said in a statement, saying this was part of the government's resolution to reduce the economic disparities in the city.

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Israel is preparing for the possibility of a new wave of "lone-wolf" terrorism, similar to the so-called "knife intifada" of 2015. Police in Jerusalem have been reinforced, and IDF units in Judea and Samaria are on the alert. The IDF has decided not to send reinforcements into Judea and Samaria at this time, with the exception of vehicle checkpoints, such as the one at Te'enim that was attacked by a terrorist on Dec. 6.

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Security sources say Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip are trying to ignite the tension resulting from the recent attacks, with the aim of encouraging more individuals to carry out spontaneous attacks.

Hamas and PIJ's announcement on Dec. 6 should be seen as a possible strategy to renew the escalation on the Gaza border. Meanwhile, they are critical of Egypt, the primary mediator between Hamas and Israel.

The main task of Israel's security forces these days is to halt the phenomenon of lone-wolf terror attacks, while simultaneously not inflaming the already tense situation.

Concerned about 'copycats'

The IDF is alarmed by the prospect of imitation attacks, especially as in recent weeks incitement on social media has increased. Such incitement, especially when it involves incidents in eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, has the most significant impact on younger Palestinians.

In November, there were three terrorist attacks: a stabbing in the Old City of Jerusalem in which two Border Police soldiers were wounded; a shooting by Hamas-affiliated terrorist and cleric Fadi Abu Shkhaydam in which an Israeli civilian was murdered; and a stabbing in Jaffa in which a civilian was seriously wounded.

So far in December, there have been two attacks: a stabbing at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem in which an Israeli civilian was seriously injured, and a vehicular assault at the Te'enim crossing in Samaria in which an Israeli security guard was seriously injured. In all cases, the terrorists were killed.

Hamas is trying to recover from a severe blow; in recent months, the Israel Security Agency arrested an extensive Hamas network that had been planning attacks in Israel, and Judea and Samaria. Weapons and explosive belts intended for suicide bombings were also captured.

This terrorist activity in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria is directed from the Gaza Strip, Turkey and Lebanon through Hamas's "West Bank headquarters." The mastermind is Saleh al-Arouri, the head of Hamas's "military wing" in Judea and Samaria. Hamas is attempting to carry out a "showcase" attack that will serve as a role model and fuel for the fire that has already begun to spread in eastern Jerusalem.

Hamas estimates that Israel is struggling to cope with the phenomenon of lone-wolf terrorists, whose attacks occur spontaneously and often in seemingly undirected waves. Hamas, therefore, tries to ride each wave as soon as it is detected and before it fades. For Hamas and other terrorist groups, the main "enemy" is the security coordination between Israel's security forces and the PA security services.

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PA leader Mahmoud Abbas knows that he holds a double-edged sword that could undermine his rule. So, while his prime minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, attacks Israel for killing the young terrorists ("cold-blooded murder"), Abbas in recent days has changed direction and ordered his security forces to stop the attacks and end the incitement.

The lone-wolf terrorism phenomenon is attributed mainly to young Palestinians, who feed on the incitement on Palestinian social networks and media. Many of the young terrorists are frustrated. They come from families living in difficult economic situations, and seek to become "heroes" in a society that nurtures the legend of "martyrs." Young Palestinians used to announce their deadly intentions on social media, or in videos. However, today, they typically take precautions and do not express their homicidal/suicidal intentions for fear of monitoring by the Israeli or P.A. security forces.

Palestinian soul-searching

Within Palestinian society, there are also manifestations of soul-searching. Following Saturday's attack on an ultra-Orthodox Jew near Damascus Gate, a veteran Palestinian journalist spoke out.

Ziad Abu Ziyad, a senior Fatah journalist in eastern Jerusalem, published an op-ed in the Al-Quds newspaper on Dec. 5, 2021, in which he strongly criticized the Palestinian leadership:

"What happened yesterday [editor's note: the shooting of the terrorist by Israeli Border Police] is murder in every sense of the word, and it is an episode in the cold-blooded killing series that is being practiced against our children and youth.

"[But] there is another question that we have to face with courage, honesty and responsibility: Who sent Mohammed Salima to do what he did? If there is no one who sent him, who is responsible for his actions?

"From time to time, we lose the flower of our young men and women. … Although the killing by the Israeli police, Border Police and the army is in cold blood, it does not absolve us of responsibility. The attacks by [Palestinian] individuals are useless spilling of blood, without purpose. What is the result of their deaths [with regard to] ending the occupation?

"These killings will not bring us independence and an end to the occupation, as the [Israeli forces'] killing of our children, which could be stopped, is useless and will not bring them security. Their killings will lead to nothing more than encouraging the will to retaliate, and we will enter a vicious cycle of mutual killing."

Ziad Abu Ziyad ended his article by admitting that the lone attacks were useless to the Palestinian struggle: "Where is the Palestinian leadership that bears responsibility for managing the struggle against the occupation? I do not mean only those who sit in Ramallah or Gaza, but all the leaders of the factions and those who speak for the Palestinian people and their fate. Where are you? Where is your national resistance plan? How long will our children and youth remain like sheep without a shepherd? Why do you cheer and glorify useless individual actions to cover up your leadership helplessness?"

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The Israel Police and the Shin Bet security agency are still exercising caution and are not calling the last eight stabbing and shooting attacks in Jerusalem – and dozens of other attacks and attempted attacks nationwide in the past 10 weeks – a wave of terrorism. The Israeli public, on the other hand, has been forced to acknowledge that "shahada" – a martyr's death – is seeing a renaissance in Palestinian society. 

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The many terrorist attacks have led to greater focus on the "shahid" and their qualities in Palestinian media and social media. This focus never shifted, but is now taking up more space. The relevant Quran quote is also being thrown around frequently: "And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, 'They are dead.' Rather, they are alive, with their lord, and they have provision."  

Now Israel Hayom is exposing the wills of the terrorists, both those who were killed during the attacks and those who lived through them, and their motives. The wills teach us about the harsh terminology that arises from their last letters and social media posts – what they leave behind. 

Former mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Ikrama Sabri explained during the Second Intifada that "the Muslim loves death and martyrdom like the Jews love life." The wills of the latest two shahids who, unfortunately, managed to carry out their plans, illustrate Sabri's remark. They both wanted to die. Mohammed Shawkat Salima, who last Saturday fell on Haredi youth Avraham Elmaliach near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem and wounded him badly before he was fatally shot by security forces, posted on his old Facebook page a post in which he defined himself as "a martyr on the waiting list." 

"May Allah soon bring me to him," Salima wrote alongside a picture of another Palestinian, Sab Abu Abid, who was killed in clashes with the IDF in 2017. 

Fadi Abu Shkhaydam, who murdered Eliyahu Kay near the Western Wall, was also fatally shot. Before leaving to carry out his planned attack, he left a much more detailed will than Salima's, in which he claimed that "after years of work, study, and teaching, there is no choice but to let the ship said on our blood and serve as a practical example in the field of jihad." 

Until recently, Abu Shkhaydam, a member of Hamas, had a working relationship with high-ranking members of the Muslim Waqf on the Temple Mount and only four months ago finished running a course offered by the Waqf titled "The Battalion of Resilience and Ribat." 

He also took care to integrate "ribat" – an Islamic term that describes taking one's place at the front of a holy war against infidels – in his will, in which he wrote, "The best path for us in light of the abuse of our mosque [Al-Aqsa Mosque – N.S.] is to redeem it with our blood. We have no honorable life so long as our mosque undergoes one failure after another and so long as the assaults against it increase. Therefore, prepare yourselves for ribat, for jihad, for sacrifice, and to give your life and throw off the bonds of this world." 

The written statements the killer left behind are unusual when compared to the wills of other murderers of his profile, because Abu Shkhaydam went beyond background and explanation for his planned action and actually instructed the hundreds of pupils he left behind to prepare themselves for similar acts in the future. 

Half leave wills

Nor are Abu Shkhaydam and Salima alone. A look through dozens of wills reveals not only the terrorists' motives, but also their need to share their "legacies" with large audiences and win legitimacy for their deeds. 

For Israel's security forces, the wills are a treasure trove that enables them to heighten the precision of the system that tracks hundreds of thousands of internet users and social media participants each day, hoping to thwart similar attacks. Authorities think that hundreds of attacks have been prevented this way. 

The scope of the tracking and location work is enormous, especially at times of tension around the Temple Mount. In a single day after the shooting attack on the Mount itself in July 2017, over 500,000 posts from the PA territories and the Arab world went up discussing the situation on the Mount. Many intended or directly called for terrorist attacks. 

The wills, however, often tell a story that is not religious or nationalist, but one of personal distress that led the attacker to carry out their plan. Mohammad Younis, who last week ran his car into a security guard at the Te'enim checkpoint, is believed to have argued with his father before taking his car without permission and deciding to become a martyr. 

Other times, the motive is revenge or identification with other shahids, what the Shin Bet calls "copycat attacks" or "infection." In the case of Tharwat Ibrahim Salman Al-Shawari, 72, a mother of five who tried to run down soldiers near Halhul, the attacker had a sense that her death was approaching. She had told her relatives that if she was going to die, it would be better to do so as a shahid rather than "in bed," as she called it. 

Some 50% of terrorists who carried out attacks or attempted to in the last few years left behind some kind of will. The most common motive documented in the wills is the situation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the desire to defend it from "Jewish invasion," a reference to Jewish visits to the Mount. In Palestinian society, the Al-Aqsa shahids are considered the elite, celebrities in every sense, and guarantee themselves a place of honor in the Palestinian pantheon of martyrs. Their wills are according popular. 

This is the kind of fame that came to Abu Shkhaydam, who wrote to his "brothers and comrades in dawa and Islamic activity" that "our blessed words and dawa, with which we have been busy since we were young, demand that we sacrifice and give our lives so that our words will not stay dead or without life." (Translation courtesy of MEMRI). 

Abu Shkhaydam even appealed directly to his students: "In every meeting I was sorry [to hear] that someone had beat me to Paradise by attacking [the enemy]. I would tell you stories about them, from friends of the Prophet to the lions of Islam of our time. Long live Allah. I never ceased to weep when I would tell you about them, but I would prepare myself and prepare to join them and follow their path … I command every one of you to adhere to this path." 

One of the "lions of Islam" about whom he taught his students was Mesbah Abu Sabih, who left behind a chilling will of his own. Abu Sabih, known to his admirers as the "lion of Al-Quds," murdered Levana Malichi and Yosef Kirma in a shooting attack at the light train station on Bar Lev Blvd. in Jerusalem in October 2016. 

Abu Sabih was also a member of Hamas. He also wanted to prevent Jews from visiting the Temple Mount. Like Abu Shkhaydam, he taught the Quran at a mosque and the writings he left behind before he was fatally shot while carrying out his attack predicted what was to come, but were not identified in time. 

'A revolution has begun in Jerusalem'

Abu Sabih, whom Abu Shkhaydam admired, admitted he envied shahids and wanted to be like them. Among other things, he wrote that "Al-Aqsa Mosque is awash in blood," "was burned every day for 47 years and awaits someone who will put it out … do not abandon Al-Aqsa Mosque." In his will, he pleaded, "On Judgment Day, we will be asked what we did for Al-Aqsa Mosque to keep it part of the faith of every Muslim in the world." 

Without Al-Aqsa, he warned, "There will be blood. There are men who will redeem Al-Aqsa with their blood. Jerusalem sits on the mouth of a volcano that is about to erupt. Al-Aqsa Mosque is closed and the murderers of children invade it every day." But, he wrote, "In Jerusalem, a revolution has started that is not a revolution of rocks alone."

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Abu Sabih, who was a violent type with a criminal past, and Abu Shkhaydam, supposedly more learned and gentle, wrote nearly identical things. So did Mohammed Tarayreh, 19, who murdered Hillel Yaffa Ariel, 13, while she was sleeping in her bed in her home in Kiryat Arba in June 2016. 

Omar Al-Abed, a resident of Kobar who stabbed three members of the Salomon family as they were gathered around the Shabbat table in their home in Halmish, left a "last will and testament" on Facebook an hour and 40 minutes before leaving to kill. His writings also dealt with the "bitter fate of Al-Aqsa." 

"The mosque is being defiled and we sleep," Al-Abed scolded. "It is a disgrace for us to sit and do nothing. You, who pull out guns only at weddings and celebrations, are you not ashamed of yourselves? … All I have is a honed knife and it is answering the call of Al-Aqsa. I am going to Paradise, my home is there. I want nothing beyond that. Allah will judge whoever does not carry out my will. Put a band of Al-Qassem around my head and on my chest, a picture of Abu Amar [Yasser Arafat]. I will take them to the grave with me." 

'The noose is around my neck'

But it's not all about Al-Aqsa. Ibrahim Halas, who in April 2020 ran down a police officer at a checkpoint in Abu Dis and was fatally shot at the scene, connected his act to criminal trouble, writing, "They set the entire world against me, they ruined my life. The noose is already around my neck. From the time I was young, I drank alcohol and used drugs, but I am an honest and fair person and want to divorce my wife for these reasons, which have brought me to the edge." 

Nimer Mahmoud Jamal, who was 37 when he murdered three Israelis on Har Adar in September 2017, also did so because of personal problems. He had a long string of violent criminal offense, mostly domestic violence, and in his will he told his wife that she should not be troubled because of his actions. "You have nothing to do with what I am about to carry out. I was a bad husband and a bad father and you were a good wife and a caring mother. I tried to mend my ways, but I never could. You deserve a better life than the life you had with me." 

There are also attackers inspired by a desire to mimic or get revenge. Ayman Kurd, 20, who stabbed two police officers near Damascus Gate after his cousin Ramzi died in a shooting in Hebron, wrote to his mother: "Be sure that I did not do this because of anyone, but of my own will. I thought about it even before my 'brother' Ramzi died a martyr's death … Bury me in the shahids' graveyard near my brother Ramzi." Kurd even asked that his death be celebrated: "I want them to have a party for me." 

Longing to die 

Abada Abu Ras, the son of a senior Hamas official who was deported to London in the early 1990s, was responsible for a terrorist stabbing in Givat Zeev in January 2016. Two weeks earlier he had written: "I long for an event in which I will lose my life." Abu Ras posted a picture of his inspiration – Mohand Halabi, who murdered Nechemia Lavi and Aharon Benita three months earlier. 

Fuad Abu Rajab a-Tamimi from Issawiya in east Jerusalem, who opened fire on two police officers and was killed at the scene, left an explanation that he wanted to become a martyr. "My death was to sanctify and glorify Allah… Don't spread hatred in the hearts of my brothers after my death. Let them discover the religion and their own path, so they can die for the purpose of being a shahid and not as revenge." 

Qutaiba Zahran, 17, from the Tulkarem region, who stabbed a Border Police officer near Tapuah Junction and was shot and killed on the spot, wrote a long post on Facebook titled "The will of a shahid," in which he bid farewell to his family and explained that the attack he was about to perpetrate was to avenge the blood of "Palestine's shahids." 

The many wills and posts that the attackers prepare show that most assume they will die trying to carry out their plans. The catchy message that Yasser Arafat made popular years ago, "Millions of shahids are marching toward Jerusalem," is being voiced again now. If this is the case, it's hard to discuss deterrence, and what's more, Palestinian society for the most part embraces the martyrs and even praises them. In a reality like this, security forces' main focus is on preventing attacks through human intelligence as well as electronic means, and by being on the alert – as we have seen at Damascus Gate.

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Several million shekels have been invested for a donor campaign in Jordan to renovate schools and homes of Palestinian residents of the Old City of Jerusalem, who live near the Temple Mount, President of the Jordanian Engineers Association, Majed Al Tabbaa said last week.

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Altogether, 338 Palestinian units were renovated in the Old City that house 1,698 residents. The information was published by the right-wing watchdog group Im Tirtzu and the Lach Yerushalayim ("For You, Jerusalem") advocacy group that seeks to safeguard Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem.

Al Tabbaa said, "the campaign is Jordan's answer to the Balfour Declaration that allowed the Israeli occupation authorities to establish a national home on Palestinian land." He said the project did not only reflect the Engineers Association's stance, but that of the "entire Jordanian people," and represented the "residents' feelings towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Media personality Iris Jarrar, who promoted the campaign on Jordanian radio, said "the residents of the Old City are the first line of defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"Supporting the [Palestinian] families of the Old City brings us one step closer to praying in the mosque, so that soon we may broadcast from the Al Aqsa compound," she said. "Today we supported the [Palestinian] resident of Jerusalem in his opposition to the occupier."

Im Tirtzu and the Lach Yerushalayim opposed the move.

"In recent years, the State of Israel has been losing control over events in Jerusalem," they said in a joint statement. "A hostile nation whose aim is to hurt our sovereignty cannot get a say when it comes to the Israeli capital.

"Jordan is stepping up efforts in the city to undermine the legitimacy and the Jewish connection to the capital. The Israeli government must stop this meddling as soon as possible. We call on the foreign minister [Yair Lapid] and the defense minister [Benny Gantz] to stop the Jordanian invasion of Jerusalem."

Israel has cooperated with Jordan on the administration of the Al-Aqsa Compound for decades, especially ever since the two countries signed a peace agreement in 1994.

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Turkey and Egypt issued statements Thursday condemning an Israeli court that a day earlier had ruled that Jews were allowed to pray silently on the Temple Mount.

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The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and houses the third-holiest site for Muslims – Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jews have until now been banned from praying at the flashpoint site in an attempt to maintain the fragile status quo in the capital.

"We strongly condemn the Israeli court's ruling that Jews are allowed to pray silently in Al-Aqsa Mosque," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding it worried the decision might "undermine the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque and cause renewed tensions."

"We call on the international community to strongly oppose this wrong, illegal and dangerous ruling, and all provocations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque," the statement read.

Echoing similar sentiment, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the ruling was "a violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, a site for Muslim worship only. We condemn the decision and stress the need to respect the historical and legal status of Jerusalem, as well as its holy sites for Muslims and Christians, in accordance with the legitimate international decisions of the United Nations and UNESCO."

It called on the Israeli government to refrain from taking steps that would go against the status quo.

The last time Turkey criticized the Israeli legal system was in April – which coincided with Ramadan this year – when Ankara condemned Jerusalem for its actions in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket launches by Hamas into Israeli territory.

"It is worrisome that the policy of repression and violence against the Palestinian people is intensifying during Ramadan," Ankara said in a statement at the time. "The Israeli government is making it difficult for the Palestinian people to pray during Ramadan."

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Israel demolished a Palestinian shop in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Tuesday, triggering scuffles between police and protesters who accused authorities of discriminatory enforcement of building permits in the holy city.

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A bulldozer escorted by Israeli police flattened Harbi Rajabi's butchers shop in the neighborhood which is overlooked by Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The shop is one of at least eight properties that residents said were slated for demolition. The residents say many have been there for decades, even from before 1967. The authorities have earmarked the land for a park and say the shops and homes have been built illegally.

Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Arieh King said "around 20" buildings in Silwan – known in Hebrew as Shiloach – had received demolition orders. Around another 60 buildings there were in violation of Israeli zoning laws, he told Reuters.

Palestinians in Silwan say it is near-impossible to get building permits. Disputing this, King said the municipality had approved hundreds of new Palestinian homes in Silwan.

Palestinian medics said 13 people were injured in Tuesday's confrontations in Silwan. Police said two officers were hurt by rock-throwers and that three people were arrested for disorderly conduct and assault.

The municipality had given Palestinians until June 28 to dismantle the structures themselves. King said the land would be cleared to make way for the park and public buildings.

The future of another east Jerusalem neighborhood, Sheikh Jarrah, was one of the flashpoints at the heart of fighting between Israel and Hamas last month.

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Several nights ago, when I was in northern Israel attending a celebratory event in honor of the reunification of Jerusalem, a siren went off in my city. I called my wife to see how she and my children were doing. The dissonance between our experiences at that moment was challenging, but all too familiar. In one place in Israel, there was happiness and celebrations, in another – alarm and terror.

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I asked my wife how she explained the sirens and the need to rush to a shelter to our children. She had told them it was a meteor shower drill. I complimented her on her creativity but thought to myself that what we, adults, tell ourselves is not much better than what we say to our children. And while lying to our children to spare them the pain is justifiable, lying to ourselves is no longer a viable option.

Let's call a spade a spade, without sugarcoating or whitewashing. It might not solve the problem, but it will at least make things clearer.

First, these people are not protesters. Protesters carry signs and megaphones, not fireworks. And when those fireworks are aimed at human beings, they are no longer fireworks. They are explosives. Using "kind" descriptions like balloons, kites and fireworks doesn't do us any good.

Second, the Palestinian propaganda has convinced the world that a violent conflict is a game in which the attacked party must respond with the same measures. That is how they reserved themself the right to determine the intensity of the conflict.

As long as one rocket is sent into Israel and Israelis are attacked on the street, the problem will have not been solved, and the military response is appropriate.

Third, it never ends well for us when we turn a blind eye to minor provocations: Arabs slapping Jews on the face on the Jerusalem light rail; throwing stones at those who came to pray at the Western Wall; or attacking joggers and cyclists.

And lastly, the Palestinians might have convinced the Left in the US, but here in Israel, we know very well that this whole surge of violence is not a "natural" response to anything.

They are not defending but attacking. They are not standing up for freedom, but committing war crimes. Not out of desperation, but out of hope. Out of hope to create a kind of religion-based imperialism that will offer very little freedom to its religious minorities.

We understand this clearly, and it does not discourage us or take away from our stubborn optimism. And when the time comes to rebuild that which has been destroyed, make peace, and live our lives alongside each other, we will not forget this. No one will be able to pretend to be innocent ever again.

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The Islamic Movement is perpetuating violence in Jerusalem and is putting Israel's sovereignty over the capital into jeopardy, a report published Sunday ahead of Jerusalem Day by right-wing watchdog group Im Tirtzu warns.

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According to the report, officials from the Southern Branch promote clashes in the capital and on Temple Mount by working with several "charitable" organizations, including the Al-Aqsa Foundation, to transports thousands of Muslims to the site and East Jerusalem.

The capital is one of several Israeli cities considered by the organization "front lines" for the "struggle against infidels." The rest of Israel, according to them, is "land captured by those infidels."

The report also showed that the Al-Aqsa Foundation has in recent years received substantial funding from foreign charitable organizations, like Moscow-based Solidarity Charitable Foundation, whose founder is a known Hamas sympathizer.

According to Im Tirtzu, Israel is losing its sovereignty over Jerusalem to extreme Islamists, exacerbated by the lack of response on behalf of political leaders over the latest wave of violence on the Temple Mount and East Jerusalem.

"The Israeli government must wake up, otherwise the nation will lose the place it cherishes the most," it said.

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