Thousands of police forces have been deployed across Jerusalem ahead of the month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin tomorrow morning or Sunday morning. The announcement of the exact date is expected to be made this afternoon.
If Ramadan begins tomorrow morning, the first Tarawih prayer will be held on the Temple Mount tonight, although in a limited format, and the police do not expect it to cause any disturbances.
The political echelon is expected to make a decision regarding the entry of West Bank residents to the Temple Mount. The Jerusalem District Police and the security establishment have recommended allowing the entry of only 10,000 Palestinians - as was the case last year - a significantly lower number than in previous years, when tens of thousands were approved for entry.
The police also recommended limiting the age of entry: men over 55, women over 50, and boys up to the age of 12 accompanied by an adult.
Approximately 3,000 police officers, Border police officers, and volunteers will participate in securing the Ramadan events, with an emphasis on the Old City, east Jerusalem, and the border crossings in the Jerusalem area.
The security establishment has no concrete information about intentions to carry out terrorist attacks, but it is estimated that such attempts could occur, especially in light of the unrest in West Bank, the IDF's operational activity in the area, and Iran's attempts to ignite tensions and arm the Palestinians through weapons smuggling - some of which were thwarted, but others were successful.In recent weeks, the police conducted a targeted operation in east Jerusalem, in which more than 20 weapons of various types were discovered, over 100 individuals suspected of incitement and disorder were arrested, and over 600 illegal residents were apprehended.
In addition, about 100 employers, recruiters, and drivers of illegal residents were arrested, and about 20 businesses that employed the illegal residents were closed.
This year, during Ramadan, an additional incendiary potential is the dozens of terrorists who were released to villages and neighborhoods in east Jerusalem as part of the current hostage-prisoner exchange. The Jerusalem police are working to prevent celebrations, parades, and flag-waving.
Earlier this week, terrorist Ashraf Zaghir and two of his relatives were arrested and charged for celebrating his release. Zaghir was convicted of transporting the terrorist who carried out the Allenby attack in 2002, killing six Israelis and wounding dozens. A clause in the deal apparently prohibits the arrest of terrorists shortly after their release. The Jerusalem police filed an indictment against him for traffic violations after he leaned out of the window of the car he was driving during the celebrations. He was charged with not wearing a seat belt and reckless driving.
The Jerusalem Police are determined to prevent the released terrorists from inciting violence on Temple Mount, with the commander of the Jerusalem District, Chief Amir Arzani, issuing administrative orders that all released terrorists, including those released earlier this week, be banned from the Temple Mount and its surroundings.
Social media incitement
One of the police's significant tools in the fight against incitement, especially on social media, is the Jerusalem District's Intelligence Operations Unit. The operations unit, which was established during Operation "Guardian of the Walls," has been operating since then, thwarting thousands of incitement incidents online. The police note that, since "Guardian of the Walls," there has been a decrease of about 60% in disturbances.
The unit works in cooperation with the Jerusalem Police, the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Foreign Ministry, with the aim of scanning online traffic and locating and monitoring instances of incitement or the transmission of messages to the public. Chief-Superintendent Azik Simon, head of the Investigations Branch in the Jerusalem District, explains: "We operate on two levels: incitement and speech, and to combat incitement and internet freedom, especially among young people. Since the beginning of the war, we have monitored over a thousand instances of incitement offenses online, including tweets, comments, uploading inciting videos, and more, most of them from east Jerusalem, but not exclusively."
Any opening of an investigation for incitement requires approval from the Attorney General. Since the beginning of the war, over 500 authorizations for investigations have been granted, over 160 indictments have been filed, approximately 120 cases are in the Attorney General's Office and awaiting a decision, and over 150 additional cases are still being investigated by the police.
The Intelligence Operations Unit's activities are also focused on released terrorists and their families. At the end of 2024, a new law came into effect that allows the deportation of family members of terrorists who commit incitement and terror offenses, with the Interior Minister responsible for signing the deportation orders. So far, no one has been deported, but the police have already submitted over 20 deportation requests, some of which are currently under review.
"Beyond all of this, part of the Intelligence Operations Unit's role in preparation for Ramadan is to create an infrastructure for freedom of worship for everyone who travels to the Temple Mount. Ramadan is a holiday, and we want to allow everyone who wants to to celebrate it," Ch. Supt Simon said.