Suppression of "democracy" in Israel - Part II

FREEDOM OF RELIGION

In a previous blog, Suppression of “democracy” in Israel – Part I, I discuss one example of the severe restrictions on Palestinian freedom of speech and assembly I have observed in Israel and Palestine. Ironically, a few days after witnessing the forceful dispersion of that peace demonstration, I watched Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli Knesset member, espouse on Al-Jazeera the merits of democracy in Israel and the ability of all people to openly express their disagreements with the government. His statement is in complete contradiction with what I have personally observed at several demonstrations in East Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, two days ago in Old City of Jerusalem, I witnessed the complete corruption of freedom of religion in the “democratic” Israel. Every Friday, thousands of Muslims from East Jerusalem come to the Temple Mount (Haram ash-Sharif) in the Old City, the third holiest site in Islam, to pray. Typically, this holy day is a colorful and joyous occasion in the Old City, but last Friday, it was quite the opposite.

The police presence in East Jerusalem and the Old City was staggering. There were literally five to seven different sets of police checkpoints people had to pass through before they could enter the Temple Mount. At each checkpoint everyone had to show his or her ID or passport to pass with the police were generally restricting access to the Temple Mount to those older than 50. However, at which checkpoint Palestinians were denied entry, was arbitrary. Literally at every checkpoint, I saw Palestinians being harassed, often physically, and denied entrance to the next “stage.” As I got closer to the Temple Mount, every road or alley directly accessing it contained a physical checkpoint to severely restrict access. It was at these locations where tensions between police and worshipers were incredibly high.

About 100m from the Temple Mount on Bab Hutta Rd., I had my most difficult and eye-opening experience thus far in Palestine and Israel. Here there were five-six Israeli policemen checking IDs and blocking access to the Temple Mount. After about 15 minutes, roughly 20-25 men were backed up behind the police and the total continued to grow. Finally, the call to prayer came and because these men could not pass this checkpoint they had to pray on the street at the feet of the soldiers who were denying them access to the Temple Mount.

At this point, an altercation erupted between a couple of policemen and a roughly 50 year old man after he was denied passage. The man then sat at the front of the group of praying men and began praying himself. Immediately, the police grabbed him, lifted him off the ground, and pushed him back into the crowd and into those who were still praying.

A huge melee broke out between those attempting to pray and the police, who began driving the Palestinians up the narrow (10 ft.) Bab Hutta Rd. The police then threw a percussion grenade into the crowd, which increased their panic level. Meanwhile, I was attempting to take photographs/video and a young Palestinian approached, yelling at me to stop taking pictures and leave, shoving me in the opposite direction of the confrontation. Palestinians are very, very weary to have their pictures taken in these types of situations, including at protests and demonstrations, because of Israeli reprisal, which can result in imprisonment (> 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails) and death. As I walked up Bab Hutta Rd. towards Herod’s gate, awestruck by the previous events, several Israeli soldiers were running in the opposite direction towards the confrontation.

To clear my mind, I went for a walk in the Christian quarter of the Old City (comprised of the Muslim, Christian, Armenian, and Jewish quarters; see the map at the top of the blog), where the church of the Holy Sepulcher is located. However, instead of clarity, sadness arose. The Christian quarter was filled with tourists and their guides exploring the historical sites connected with Jesus’ crucifixion, completely oblivious to the humiliation and persecution of Muslims occurring literally 200 meters away. These pilgrims, mostly from the United States and Europe, are generally oblivious to the fact that their governments are funding this religious oppression. The world conscious needs to awaken to this reality and the impacts of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, which includes the suppression of basic rights, such as the freedoms of speech and religion, which we take for granted in the United States.

It is important to note that it is illegal for Palestinians from the West Bank to travel to Jerusalem. Therefore millions of Muslims who live in the West Bank and are not permanent residents of Israel cannot at anytime visit or pray at the Temple Mount, a place they consider sacred.