A series of violent acts in Jerusalem have reignited fears that the region will repeat the script followed in May last year, when tensions eventually led to wider conflict in the Gaza Strip.
On Friday (15), Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the most important in Islam, leaving at least 152 Palestinians injured. Footage circulating on social media shows police officers attacking people lying in the mosque and security forces pushing elderly men out of the religious complex.
THE Sheet the Israeli ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Zohar Zonshine, says that the police tried to guarantee the safety of those who were in Jerusalem for the religious festivals. This year the celebrations of Passover for Jews, Ramadan for Muslims and Easter for Christians coincide.
Zonshine says some young Palestinians tried to provoke Israeli forces, who “reacted in a way that doesn’t look good on TV.”
“Not everything can be explained. I believe the police were under pressure because of the number of people,” he says. “It wasn’t a calm situation that we can sit here and analyze. I can’t justify behavior that doesn’t feel right, but in general the idea was not to provoke people, but to prevent [a violência].”
How do you explain what is happening in Jerusalem? We have to understand the time and place. We are talking about Ramadan, Passover and Christian Easter happening at the same time. It is a sensitive moment, from a religious point of view. Many people are going to pray in peace.
What happened on Friday was that a dozen youths provoked the Israeli security forces, throwing stones that they had prepared in advance. It was a tease. The Israeli forces reacted in a way that doesn’t look good on TV, and I don’t think it looked good on the ground either. Unfortunately, people were injured, mostly Palestinians.
You mentioned that you didn’t look good on TV. Nor was it on social media. We saw images of elderly men and women being attacked. How do you explain this? Not everything can be explained. I believe the police were under pressure because of the number of people. Some of the youths threw stones at the police. It wasn’t a calm situation that we can sit here and analyze. I can’t justify behavior that doesn’t seem right, but in general the idea was not to provoke people, but to prevent [a violência].
Do you worry that the situation could get worse now, as it did last year? We hope it doesn’t spread to other places. Muslims all over the world are looking to Jerusalem. We don’t want to give reason to anyone who is looking for a reason to burn the region down — while at the same time protecting Israeli interests.
The idea is to be wise and not necessarily seek justice. Pursuing justice can end with the dead.
What do you mean by justice in this sense? Each side is looking at its own justifications. [Esse local] it is sacred to Muslims and Jews. Jews feel that they have a right and that they have been wronged in that right.
Why can’t Jews pray there? That’s what I mean by “justice”. The justice of being able to exercise their religious rights. We have religious rights, but we also have a reality, and the intention is not to lead to too much confrontation between the two.
The United Arab List party “froze” participation in Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s coalition, criticizing the management’s stance on the protests. Does this concern the government? Yes. The government is divided equally between coalition and opposition, with 60 deputies on each side. I’m sure it’s a concern for the prime minister. Since the government is made up of a wide range of parties, it cannot make radical decisions. The government has to maintain a consensus that is accepted by all. So I think they won’t make drastic decisions in this situation.
X-RAY | Daniel Zohar Zonshine, 63
Graduated in Archeology and with a Masters in Defense Studies, ​ he joined the Israeli foreign service in 1990. He was Ambassador to Myanmar and Consul General in Mumbai (India). At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served in the Agency for Overseas Programs, the Department of South America and the Department of Palestinian Affairs. He served at the embassy in Brasilia between 1998 and 2002.
