The confluence of events in Jerusalem over the past few weeks has turned the city into a powder keg once more, with aggressive policing from inexperienced leaders one of the main culprits. But that doesn't mean a third intifada is now inevitable
Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel s military correspondent.
Palestinian protesters hurl stones at Israeli security forces amid clashes in Jerusalem s Old City on May 8, 2021. (EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)
To get a sense of the unparalleled potency of the city of Jerusalem you would have only needed to look at Latrun Junction on Saturday afternoon to watch dozens of young Muslim men and women, carrying prayer rugs, marching off in the direction of the Temple Mount after police kicked them off buses heading toward the capital for fear they would take part in violent protests at the holy site.
These pilgrims, mostly from Arab towns in northern Israel, made it to the Old City for evening prayers after hiking more than 30 kilometers (19 miles).
Israel’s largest religious festival turned into its largest peacetime tragedy late last week, as 45 celebrants were crushed to death, and dozens more were injured, under the feet of fellow
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image captionOne of the victims, Argentine student Avrohom Daniel Ambon, was buried in Jerusalem on Monday
Israel s government watchdog will open a special inquiry into a crush at a Jewish religious festival on Friday that left 45 men and boys dead.
Some 150 others were injured at the event on Mount Meron when they became trapped in an overcrowded passageway. This disaster could have been prevented, State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman said on Monday.
The comptroller s office had previously issued two reports warning of major risks to people attending the festival.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised a thorough investigation into what went wrong, but he has not yet responded to calls for a state commission of inquiry that would have wide-ranging powers.