By Richard Downes, RTE
When you say that it will be a turbulent week in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, you can often think: “Yea, sure. What’s new?”
Well there is a lot that is new.
For a start, the United States is recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. No other major country does. Washington’s new embassy is a fairly unimpressive building in a well-to-do but unremarkable suburb of Jerusalem. ‘Javanka’, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump will be in attendance, adding some star power to the gathering of grey suits on Monday afternoon.
Most countries from the rest of the world, including Ireland, keep an embassy in Tel Aviv. For most of the world, the status of Jerusalem is still to be settled and is not an appropriate location for their embassy.
This week, Israelis will also celebrate the 70th calendar anniversary of the establishment of their state. Already here in Jerusalem, the Israeli flag is waving proudly on public buildings and light standards everywhere. For Israelis, there is much to celebrate.
Their state, founded precariously in a region hostile to them, is a source of great pride. The signs of this satisfaction are on display all over the region.
Everywhere that is except east Jerusalem and the occupied territories. Palestinians remember the establishment of the state of Israel as the “Nakbah”, the catastrophe, the disaster.
They remember it as a time of war and repression, of death and dispossession, when hundreds of thousands were chased out of their homes and ended up in dusty and miserable camps in the region.
Millions of Palestinians still reside in these places, stateless and with little expectation of change.
Plans are in hand for major demonstrations in east Jerusalem and other Palestinian areas, including the Gaza Strip, where more than 40 people have been killed and hundreds injured in recent weeks, as demonstrators have tried to breach the Israeli fence which separates Gaza from the rest of the world.
Leaders of the Hamas movement in Gaza have wondered aloud what the problem is with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians trying to breach the Israeli fence.
Many Gaza residents have little to lose and the cult of martyrdom is entrenched in the area. It is a toxic combination when put up against the apparent willingness of Israeli security forces to use ‘live fire’ on demonstrators.
Israel has condemned the demonstrators as terrorists or potential terrorists.
Even by the standards of the region, this second week in May promises to be memorable and difficult.
