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Hamas — the US-designated terror group that governs the Gaza Strip — threatened that it could still react to Sunday’s Jerusalem Day parade in the Old City, saying it would do so “at the right time.” Spokesperson Mohammad Hamada told Al Jazeera that “the resistance [sic] will decide how and when to respond in accordance to the information it has.”
Ahead of the event, Hamas had warned that it would not allow what it called “Jewish, Talmudic nonsense” to go unanswered.
Jerusalem Day marks the anniversary of the Jewish state’s victory in the 1967 battle for the country’s survival, the Six-Day War. Previously, during the Jordanian occupation of eastern Jerusalem, Jews had been banned from their holiest sites. When it gained control over the entirety of Jerusalem, Israel introduced freedom of worship for everyone.
The joyous occasion is marked by an annual flag parade through the Old City, ending at the Western Wall. Last year’s march, however, was cut short when Hamas fired rockets at the Jewish state’s capital, setting off an 11-day war between the Israel Defense Forces and Gaza-based terror factions.
Sunday’s celebrations, which drew 70,000 participants, took place mostly without incident, police said. Some 50 people were arrested throughout the day, including on the Temple Mount and along the flag march route, especially at Damascus Gate. In the evening, three Israeli civilians and five police officers were injured during clashes in the contentious neighborhood of Shimon Hatzadik/Sheikh Jarrah.
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Following last week’s killing in Tehran of an Iranian IRGC operative, Israeli security officials on Monday reiterated their warning against citizens’ travel to Turkey and other countries that share a border with the Islamic Republic.
“In recent weeks, and more so since Iran blamed Israel for an assassination of a senior member of the IRGC, security agencies are increasingly concerned that Iran will target Israelis traveling abroad,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office read.
Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei of the elite Quds Force terror unit was shot five times outside his home on May 22, in an assassination widely attributed to Jerusalem. According to the National Security Council and other agencies, Turkey is now considered “at high risk” for attacks targeting citizens of the Jewish state.
Among others, Monday’s missive called on Israelis not to reveal personal information and travel plans and keep emergency phone numbers at hand. Israelis are also asked to refrain from divulging information on security matters or prior military service and urged not to identify themselves in hotels, restaurants, or any other public venues.
Speaking at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed to put an end to Iran’s terror-sponsoring “immunity.” Bennett warned: “Whoever funds terrorists, whoever arms terrorists, whoever sends out terrorists, will pay the full price.”
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Pro-Palestinian NGOs and activists have celebrated the release of Fusako Shigenobu, co-founder of the Japanese Red Army terrorist organization that worked with the PFLP to commit the Lod Airport massacre. Once described as “the empress of terror,” Shigenobu was freed after serving a 20-year sentence on Saturday.
The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network organized a livestream to celebrate Shigenobu’s “liberation.” In a press release, the PFLP-linked NGO said that it saluted her, describing her as a “revolutionary” and “political prisoner” who had been unjustly imprisoned. UK-based Brighton BDS called her story “amazing.”
For its part, the Palestinian Youth Movement stated that “Palestinians everywhere salute and celebrate Fusako Shigenobu for her extraordinary dedication to our national struggle, and her friendship with our people.”
The Japanese Red Army, established in 1971 and linked with Palestinian terror groups, carried out the 1972 machine-gun and grenade assault on Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, then known as Lod Airport. Eight Israelis and 16 foreign tourists were murdered in the attack.
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US President Biden has agreed not to establish an independent consulate serving Palestinians in Jerusalem, local media reported. According to two US and Palestinian officials, following a decision in December 2021 to freeze the proposal, Washington has now indefinitely shelved the reopening of the mission in Israel’s capital.
During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden had pledged to resurrect the Jerusalem consulate, which then-president Donald Trump shuttered in 2019. Israel has opposed the move, which it says infringes on its sovereignty.
The US has now reportedly decided on a series of other steps aimed at improving its ties with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Among such steps, the Biden Administration intends to upgrade the status of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr to that of special envoy to the Palestinians.
Amr will be based in Washington but make frequent visits to the region to work with the Palestinian Affairs Unit, part of the US Embassy in Israel. Once Amr officially takes up his new role, the unit will report to him directly and cease to operate under the auspices of the embassy, essentially serving as a separate mission to the Palestinians.
President Biden previously announced the restoration of at least $235 million in US assistance to the West Bank and Gaza. The intention to restart funding might run afoul of legislation that restricts the US from transferring funds that would benefit the PA or Hamas and used to incentivize terrorism against Israeli civilians.
Recommended Reading
- State Department Antisemitism Envoy Lipstadt Delivers First Address (Mike Wagenheim, Israel Hayom)
- Israel: Arab-Israeli Supreme Court Justice Kara Retires (i24NEWS)
- Saudi Arabia and Israel Preparing Major Diplomatic Meeting (Danny Zaken, Globes)
- Remains of a 2,200 Year Old Outpost Found Near Jerusalem Hospital (Jerusalem Post)
