Briefing on Current Situation in Israel By: Aaron , Director, Diplomatic Affairs

Israel is under attack – with dozens of rockets being fired in recent hours from Gaza, major cities on high alert, and violence and the threat of further violence continuing in parts of .

Below, a brief background, followed by urgent talking points:

Since the start of the holy Muslim month of in mid-April, tensions have escalated in East Jerusalem, and then spilled over to the West Bank and Gaza, with a series of events driving the unrest.

At the beginning of Ramadan, clashes erupted between police and Palestinians protesting security barriers outside Damascus Gate. The situation was further exacerbated by a march by far-right Israelis close to the same area in protest of videos posted on social media showing Palestinians assaulting ultra- Orthodox .

For several nights, major clashes took place in and around the Al-Aqsa complex. Tens of thousands of worshippers hurled stones at police, compelling officers to respond with crowd control measures.

Late last month, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority announced that the Palestinian parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 22, would be delayed indefinitely, blaming Israel for this postponement. In doing so, he heightened tensions and laid the groundwork for further escalation.

Amid an already volatile atmosphere, Palestinians have been rallying around the cause of four Palestinian families facing eviction in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah after Israeli courts ruled the land belonged to Jewish plaintiffs in a long-running legal case.

Israel's Supreme Court was due to hear the appeal of the families yesterday, but the hearing was cancelled following a request from Israel's attorney general. A new date will be set in the next 30 days.

In recent days, Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza have launched rockets and incendiary balloons at Israel, causing widespread wildfires and severe damage. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued calls to escalate what it termed Intifada and encourage the public to sustain their violent actions and continue the fight. Currently, the Israeli Air Force is attacking terrorist targets in northern Gaza.

International actors have expressed concern over what was happening in East Jerusalem. "Violence only generates violence. Let's stop these clashes," Pope Francis said to the crowds in St Peter's Square, calling on all sides to respect Jerusalem for its multicultural identity.

The State Department said Friday it is “deeply concerned” over violent clashes in Jerusalem. “We are deeply concerned by the escalation of violence in Jerusalem. The rhetoric of extremist protesters chanting hateful and violent slogans must be firmly rejected. We call for calm and unity, and urge authorities to ensure the safety, security, and rights of all in Jerusalem,” tweeted State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

PM Netanyahu strongly defended Israel’s actions. “We will not allow any extremist element to undermine the quiet in Jerusalem. We will uphold law and order – vigorously and responsibly. We will continue to guard freedom of worship for all faiths, but we will not allow violent disturbances,” Netanyahu said.

Talking points

The responsibility for the current escalation lies entirely with the Palestinian Authority and with Hamas and other terrorist groups.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the Palestinian elections scheduled for May 22 for his own political reasons, and then chose to blame Israel. In doing so he has laid the groundwork for the current violence.

The Palestinian Authority is exploiting what is essentially a dispute over real-estate in Jerusalem, which is currently being litigated before the Israeli Supreme Court, to advance its anti-Israel political agenda.

Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel, has taken advantage of the current tensions to launch rocket attacks and incendiary balloons against Israeli civilian targets, leaving Israel with no choice but to act in self-defense.

Since 1967, Israel has maintained full access to the holy sites in Jerusalem, including Muslim sites. However, Israel cannot stand by when these sites are used as launching pads for violent actions that disrupt public safety.