IDF to boost presence in West Bank as Temple Mount tensions flare

ed note-make no mistake about the source of all these recent clashes, as they are the direct result of what Trump plans to do in helping defuse the volatile situation in the Middle East with the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank. As we predicted here months ago, Israel would escalate the volatility in the interests of painting the Palestinians as violent and irrational in order to put enormous political pressure on the Trump administration, and if this ‘volatility’ does not succeed in getting Trump to change course, then Israel will begin blowing things up in either Europe or America and blame it on the Palestinians.

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The IDF is sending more troops to the area as Friday prayers are expected to elevate tensions around the holy site.

With tensions still high in Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Complex, the Israeli army will place five extra battalions on alert in the West Bank ahead of Friday prayers.

According to a statement by the IDF, the battalions may be released should the situation change.

The announcement that the thousands of extra troops are to be placed on call comes as security services are gearing up for clashes that are expected in Jerusalem and the West Bank on Friday as a large number of Muslim worshipers are anticipated to try to make their way to the Temple Mount Complex.

Israel police will continue to secure the complex along with the reinforcement of thousands of special police forces.

On Thursday afternoon a Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank village of Tuqu near the settlement of Tekoa after he attempted to stab IDF soldiers at an inspection post.

No troops were hurt in the attack.

A terror attack last week at the holy site left two Israeli police officers dead and resulted in the government placing metal detectors at its entrances.

Clashes broke out in the West Bank on Wednesday after Fatah announced a “Day of Rage” encouraging Palestinians to demonstrate the placing of the metal detectors. Palestinian Red Crescent reported three injuries from live fire near Qalandiya after dozens of youths who were marching towards the checkpoint near Ramallah began to throw stones at Israeli forces.

While Israel claims that they are necessary to prevent further terror attacks, worshipers and Arab states have condemned the move and it constitutes a change in the status quo.

Under the status quo Israel controls access to the site and Jordan-through the Wakf Islamic trust- administers activities inside the compound.

According to Former Shin-Bet head, MK Yaakov Perry (Yesh Atid), while the “situation is very fragile and sensitive,” the placing of metal detectors does not mean a change in the status quo.

“Every holy sensitive place in the world is protected,” he said, adding that “there is no hermetic proof – not for intelligence and not for physical security means – but after this terrorist act I think the conclusion to tighten the security belt and add these electronic gates was not a political decision but pure security one.”

Violence on the Temple Mount has often been the spark for deadly violence between Israel and Palestinians, such as the Second Intifada which broke out following rioting on the plaza in 2000 after the visit of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.