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Clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem have brought the Middle East closer to a wider confrontation. The Israeli military says Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants in Lebanon fired 34 rockets into northern Israel on Thursday. The Israelis said they shot down 25 of the rockets, but at least two others were wounded at the checkpoint. Amna Nawaz discussed the confrontation with Ronen Bergman.
Amna Nawaz:
Our other important story tonight: clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at a holy site in Jerusalem have spread to Lebanon.
The Israeli military says Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants in Lebanon fired 34 rockets into northern Israel today. Trails of white smoke from those rockets swept through the city of Nahariya. The Israeli said he shot down 25 of the rockets, but at least two other people were wounded at the checkpoint.
Late in the evening, the Israelis began airstrikes on targets in Gaza. Soon after, sirens sounded in Israeli towns near Gaza, indicating additional rocket attacks.
For an update on the latest news, we’re now joined by Ronen Bergman in Tel Aviv. He is editor of The New York Times Magazine and “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations. “
Ronen, welcome. And thank you for us.
Keep us updated on the most recent data we’ve noticed about those Israeli air movements, and now it looks like these are retaliatory moves in Israel.
Ronen Bergman, “The New York Times Magazine”: Yes.
Well, one of the things that Israel has tried to refrain from and make sure that its adversaries don’t is to have some kind of collective plans and connection between the other fronts that Israel has to face.
And here, Israel has learned precisely the opposite. While something happened in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount, it led to a confrontation with Hamas in Gaza. And now, in retaliation for both, Hamas can fire from Lebanon into Israel, in the largest rocket barrage since 2006. That was the last time Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon’s main militant militia, had an all-out war.
It is a deterioration of the situation. The Cabinet has just finished its session, the Israeli Cabinet. And that was followed, as you mentioned, with bombing in Gaza, which is now followed by other mortar and rocket fire at Israeli cities in the south.
I think what Israel seeks to do is react, but degenerate into a full-blown confrontation. We will see next hour if this attempt succeeds.
Amna Nawaz:
Ronen, I know you are progressing rapidly. You discussed the Temple Mount incident.
I need other people to know that they don’t stick to each and every twist and turn. Israeli police forces entered what is called the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where worshippers were held. It is, of course, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which coincides with the start of Easter.
Is there any sign that this may happen again, that there will be further escalation at Al-Aqsa or how Israeli forces will continue to respond?
Ronen Bergmann:
Well, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount are the most delicate position on Earth. And anything can galvanize yet another escalation of violence.
Yesterday, according to Israeli police, many worshippers barricaded themselves in one of the prayer halls, prompting police to storm in because police do not allow overnight stays inside Al-Aqsa, prompting an outbreak of violence. Suppose, on both sides.
Many worshippers were injured. Many of them were arrested through Israeli officials. And, of course, we have the other narratives on both sides. But it is transparent that Israel has done something that many Israelis, in addition to policymakers and intelligence officers, have begged not to do, which is not to do, especially not Passover, especially not Ramadan, not to touch the delicate maximum button in this confrontation.
And, unsurprisingly, this is setting the region on fire in a new deterioration that we are not sure will end. I suppose that Friday morning prayer, the highest vital prayer of the week, in Al-Aqsa, the police will go to do their best. They cannot intervene.
There are other elements of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other elements within the Palestinian public calling for what they call the coverage of the holy mountain of what they see as an Israeli or Jewish provocation.
It also remains to be noted, this is also Israeli domestic politics, Benjamin Netanyahu, who for the first time has convened a cabinet assembly since January, Benjamin Netanyahu will adopt the more moderate line, as also advised and pleaded through the intelligence services of the army, or stick to the calls of excessive top ministers in his own Cabinet calling for a hard line, A strong hand and a very forceful reaction to the other fronts and demanding situations facing the Israeli public and military establishment.
All of this adds up, I would say, to many suspicions of Netanyahu by much of the Israeli public, that he is spoiling something to distract the Israeli public from the hot domestic politics it has been seeking. to achieve via the judicial reform of recent months.
Amna Nawaz:
It is a precarious scenario that worsens. We will stick to your report.
Ronen Bergman of the New York Times Magazine joins us from Tel Aviv.
Ronen, thank you.
Ronen Bergmann:
Thanks a lot.
Amna Nawaz is a co-anchor of PBS NewsHour.
As an adjunct senior producer of foreign affairs and defense at PBS NewsHour, Dan plays a key role in overseeing and producing the show’s defense and foreign affairs stories. Public eye.
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