Jerusalem sees unrest during convergence of Passover, Ramadan and Easter

Jerusalem sees unrest during convergence of Passover, Ramadan and Easter

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to International Crisis Group analyst² Mairav Zonszein about unrest in Jerusalem and what it means for the already volatile³ region.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

There was more unrest over the weekend in Jerusalem. Dozens were hurt Friday in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque⁴ compound when Israeli police used tear gas and stun⁵ grenades against Palestinians throwing stones. In the middle of Ramadan, police stormed at the mosque, considered the third-holiest site in Islam. Medical officials said 150 Palestinians and three police officers were injured. Hundreds of Palestinians were arrested. On Sunday, Israeli police were back, saying they wanted to clear a path for Jews visiting the hilltop compound revered⁶ by Jews as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Police blocked Muslims from parts of the site, and more arrests were made.

Palestinians accuse Israel of a dangerous escalation⁷ during a rare convergence of Passover, Ramadan and Easter, when even larger crowds of worshippers were visiting Jerusalem. Similar violence a year ago was one of the events that contributed to the eruption⁸ of an 11-day-long war in Gaza. We've reached out to the Mairav Zonszein. She is a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, and she joins us from Tel Aviv. Good morning.

MAIRAV ZONSZEIN: Good morning.

FADEL: So if you could just break down what led to what we saw Friday and over the weekend.

ZONSZEIN: Yeah, well, the situation of the convergence of Ramadan and the other holidays - the Christian⁹ holiday of Easter and the Jewish holiday of Passover - sounded alarm bells for the Israeli government. And even the Biden administration had warned that tensions rise because many, many people flood into the old city on these days. And because of the precedent¹⁰ of last year, where Ramadan caused - it wasn't Ramadan itself, but it was the fact that the police - the Israeli police, were in full force and using many crowd dispersal means. So there was fear that the same thing would happen this year. And, in fact, it's been relatively¹¹ calm compared to last year and compared to what could be the case.

FADEL: OK. So is this moment at all similar to what prompted the 11-day war last year? Could it escalate¹² to that level?

ZONSZEIN: Yeah, it really is a very fragile and tense situation. And people need to remember that East Jerusalem is occupied and annexed¹³. The people - the Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem don't have a police force. They're not citizens of the country. They are kind of at the will of the police force. So there's always tensions every day for Palestinians who live in that area. And it's also important to remember that Damascus Gate, the Old City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque where they pray during Ramadan is - are the main areas where East Jerusalem Palestinians can congregate¹⁴ and celebrate the holiday together.

So when you have a police force that comes in, even if it's just a minority of kids who are, you know, stirring up trouble, it can very easily escalate. And so we're seeing very similar pictures to last year, but there are differences in how the Israeli government is handling the situation. It has indicated and signaled in various ways that it's actually interested in keeping the peace. And, in some ways, it's doing its best to do so.

FADEL: A very different sentiment than what we saw last year.

ZONSZEIN: Yes, also because Israel has been in dialogue with Jordan. It has also lifted a curfew on the West Bank that normally is held for the entire Jewish holiday. So there are very specific actions that the Israeli government is taking to try to signal to the Palestinians that it's not interested in engaging in a certain amount of collective punishment for the few. At the same time, we've seen images of police brutality¹⁵ - using batons¹⁶ on worshippers entering the mosque - which for, you know, Palestinians, is a huge infringement¹⁷ of their rights.

FADEL: And it didn't just start this weekend, these tensions, right? I mean, there - over the past couple weeks, 14 people were killed in a wave of attacks in Israel. Israeli forces have stepped up raids in the Palestinian West Bank. So far, dozens of Palestinians reportedly injured. At least 25 have been killed by Israeli forces. I mean, if we could talk about the bigger picture here.

ZONSZEIN: Yeah, that's right. Well, in Israel and Palestine, there's kind of never a quiet moment, certainly not for Palestinians. But we've had a wave of terror attacks that we have not seen in Israel for many years - specifically shooting attacks in four different Israeli cities, something that Israelis have not seen in quite a while. So I think about 14 Israelis were killed. And, as well, the IDF has stepped up its raid in the West Bank. It's entered the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank several times and often killing¹⁸ people who are in - exchanged in gun battles.

So we've had a rise in tensions in the West Bank specifically. And also, there's been a few incidents of Israeli soldiers who are deployed¹⁹ in greater numbers now as a result, who have shot at unarmed - for example, an unarmed woman who's 47 years old. She didn't present any threat. She was shot and killed tragically²⁰. So all of these things have been happening on the backdrop of this current crisis.

FADEL: Mairav Zonszein, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, thank you for being on the program.

ZONSZEIN: Thanks so much.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

4 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

5 stun   

vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹

参考例句：

• When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时，我当时完全惊呆了。
• Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地，被一下打昏了。

6 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

7 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

8 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

9 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

10 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

13 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

14 congregate   

v.(使)集合，聚集

参考例句：

• Now they can offer a digital place for their readers to congregate and talk.现在他们可以为读者提供一个数字化空间，让读者可以聚集和交谈。
• This is a place where swans congregate.这是个天鹅聚集地。

15 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

16 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

17 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯

18 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

19 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

20 tragically   

adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地

参考例句：

• Their daughter was tragically killed in a road accident. 他们的女儿不幸死于车祸。
• Her father died tragically in a car crash. 她父亲在一场车祸中惨死。