Clashes erupt in 'Tel Aviv' on Yom Kippur
6 Min Read
Clashes erupt in "Tel Aviv" on the eve of Yom Kippur amid paramount criticism of the government's dealing with ongoing crises.
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Israeli youths sit together at a junction on a car-free road during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur in 'Ramat Gan', 'Tel Aviv', Occupied Palestine, September 25, 2023 (AP)
Clashes broke out on Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, in "Tel Aviv", wherein religious Jews said they were attacked by secular protesters.
Israeli settlers organizing prayers segregated men from women using Israeli flags as a temporary barrier, in violation of a court ruling banning the practice and a "Tel Aviv" municipality decision on the matter.
Some 200 activists organized a protest march in Dizengoff Square in "Tel Aviv", describing themselves as "opponents of the prevalence of religious displays in public". They chanted "shame on you" to condemn the worshippers before the Israeli occupation forces detained a protester for taking down one of the flags being used as a barrier between the Israeli men and women.
Read more: Israelis clash over religion guidlines in 'culutral war' on Yom Kippur
Netanyahu, Gantz exchange blame
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the events, placing blame on "leftist protesters," while Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue and White political bloc and a prominent opposition figure, responded to Netanyahu's statements, asking: "Who, besides the Prime Minister - who is the biggest source of hatred - would choose to fan the flames at this time?"
Religious Zionism Party leader and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich referred to the protesters as "store burners," alluding to the Talmudic story of ruffians burning the storehouses that held grain during a siege waged by the Romans amid disagreements between said ruffians and sages who wanted another route.
In turn, Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed "concern about the danger of internal division" in a speech he delivered during the official ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1973 October War, in which Egyptian and Syrian forces jointly attacked the Israeli occupation and regained control of the Sinai Peninsula.
Herzog stressed that "division, polarization, and never-ending conflict all pose a real danger to Israeli society and the security of Israel," warning of their continuation after the failure of the initiative he launched to resolve the crisis.
No internal strategy
There is a concerning phenomenon in "Israel" as it faces governance problems across the board, Israel Hayom diplomatic affairs correspondent Shirit Cohen said, noting that this includes issues ranging from the violence involving Eritreans in the south of "Tel Aviv", rising crime rates, and the loss of standing in al-Naqab, not to mention the cabinet halting the construction of turbine in the Occupied Golan Heights due to the Druze demographic.
"Over the years, governments have suppressed and provided localized responses to these issues, postponing their resolution to another day, causing small incidents to escalate into enormous ones that undermine the sense of security," Cohen said. "A comprehensive strategic plan is definitely lacking."
... and no comprehensive vision
A researcher from the IOF's Ma'arachot journal, Kobi Michael, underlined that "the fundamental problem in Israel is that the doctrine of domestic security has not only been written but it has also never been discussed as the national military security doctrine has."
"When people talk about domestic security, they think of terrorism or Jewish-Arab relations, but domestic security is much broader and includes other elements that affect our performance and strength," Michael explained.
Another Ma'arachot researcher, Ret. Col. Gabi Siboni addressed the ongoing clash between the government and the Supreme Court in attempting to address previous issues that had remained unresolved. "At the end of the day, agricultural crimes, organized crime, and the amount of illegal weaponry are all issues of governance, i.e., they are deep-rooted problems that were never dealt with over the years, which allowed them to become somewhat of a dangerous strategic issue."
"During the Guardian of the Walls operation, we saw the Arabs rioting on the streets of numerous cities. This will happen again in the future, and we might be fighting on numerous fronts with the police being unable to confront issues taking place on the home front, he warned.
Not just a gap in the wall
The police proved to be limited through their handling of Seif al-Quds, Siboni said, stressing that the police failed to deal with widespread security events in al-Naqab. "This is not just a gap; it is a fundamental flaw."
"What happened with the Eritreans is happening daily in al-Naqab. There are areas without any governance; the police do not assert sovereignty in those areas because it is uncomfortable for them. The police enforce the law on those willing to comply with it," the Israeli journalist underlined.
Over 150 individuals were injured, including 19 with serious injuries, as Israeli police crackdown on Eritrean immigrants who were protesting against their home country's government earlier in September.
The Israeli occupation police claimed to have successfully quelled the riot initiated by Eritrean immigrants in the southern part of "Tel Aviv", arresting 39 individuals allegedly involved in the disturbance. The police further claimed that the detainees possessed tear gas, electric stun guns, and various other weapons.
"If anyone thinks that violence in the Arab community will remain confined to the Arab community, they do not live among us and do not understand what is happening," he added. "This violence will explode in our faces on a large scale and seep into the Jewish sphere, and it may even bring a catastrophe upon us when we find ourselves helpless in the face of extremely severe national crime rates."
Michael raises a question: "What capability does the state have to deal with extreme natural events? Earthquakes, floods, rising temperatures... there is no preparation."
Michael then shifts to a topic of great importance, "Israeli agriculture," and "Israel's" ability to achieve food security. He warns of the absence of any "emergency stockpiles for a situation where there is a naval blockade on Israel, preventing its ability to import," cautioning that "this thinking is not at the state level" and that "we may find ourselves in ten years with far fewer farmers than Israel needs."
The Israeli researcher concludes that "what is happening is the result of an authoritarian culture in a country where ministers want immediate achievements and await appearances on the 8 pm news."
