The escalation of violence in Israel, east Jerusalem and Gaza was sudden yet also predictable. It was set off by a series of clashes, notably a fight over property rights, always sensitive, and then protests by Palestinian youths last week. The Israeli police’s use of stun grenades and rubber bullets at the mosque was particularly inflammatory. This is the last week of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, and yesterday was Jerusalem Day, the anniversary of the capture of east Jerusalem by Israel in 1967. Yesterday’s events will remind many of the start of the Second Intifada 20 years ago, a particularly

Source: The Times May 10, 2021 11:04 UTC