On Israel’s Jerusalem Day (May 29, 2022), and ahead of the Flag March traditionally held in the city on this day, two Qatari state dailies published editorials that incited against Israel, threatened it and called for an uprising against it. The editorial of the Al-Watan daily claimed that holding the Flag March according to the planned route, which passes through Damascus Gate and the Muslim quarter in the Old City, is an act of provocation by Israel, which seeks to “divide Al-Aqsa” between Muslims and Jews and “to demolish the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.” It described May 29 as a “sacred day” of Palestinian uprising to defend Jerusalem against “the occupation’s Judaizing plots,” and called to turn it into a day of rage in all the countries of the world in solidarity with the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. The editorial of the Al-Sharq daily stated that Israel’s insistence on holding the march was an act that “clearly invites an escalation and a new cycle of violence in the region.” It added that, “in light of the Israeli escalation and the provocative march, all options are apparently open in terms of the unfolding of events in the Palestinian territories.”
Al-Watan and Al-Sharq logos
The following are translated excerpts from the two editorials:
Editorial In Qatari State Daily Al-Watan: Today The Palestinian Masses Will Launch Their Uprising In Defense Of Jerusalem And Al-Aqsa
The May 29, 2022 editorial of the Qatari daily Al-Watan, titled “Defending the Holy Places,” states: “Today [Sunday, May 29, 2022] the Palestinians are calling to raise the national banners everywhere, in protest of the Israeli Flag March that Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett decided to leave as it was [i.e., without altering its route], as a new Israeli provocation. Today the Palestinian masses launch their uprising in defense of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, which requires the support of the Arab and Islamic nations, their regimes and their peoples. This Sunday is a sacred day [devoted to] thwarting the occupation’s Judaization plots, which is a historic duty incumbent upon all of us. We must create a reality of general opposition to the march, which will pass through Damascus Gate, a place that belongs to the [Palestinian] residents of Jerusalem, because, during the march, the settlers call out insulting and loathsome slogans that offend religious and national sentiment, and this is a provocation against all Arabs and Muslims, without exception.
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“Supporting the Palestinian cause by every means – financial, moral, media and other – is now more crucial than ever, for the victory of the Palestinians is the victory of our religion, of our [national] affiliation and of our Arab identity. The issue of Jerusalem is not [just] a Palestinian or Arab one, but a pan-Muslim issue, and the current reality mandates turning this day into a day of rage in all the countries of the world, in solidarity with the people of Jerusalem. The occupation seeks to divide the area and the [prayer] times at Al-Aqsa [between the Muslims and Jews] in preparation for demolishing the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. All the Arabs and Muslims must act in concert to convey a clear message, that this [behavior is tantamount to] playing with fire and can lead to significant consequences. [These consequences] must be prevented through serious and responsible efforts to prompt the international community to fulfill its neglected duty of translating its resolutions into action and pushing for the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Otherwise, the occupation authorities will continue to implement their plan of Judaizing Jerusalem and taking over its holy places, which are sacred to all Muslims and Arabs everywhere.“[1]
Editorial In Qatari State Daily Al-Sharq: Israel Is Inviting An Escalation And Igniting New Cycle Of Violence In The Region
The May 29, 2022 editorial of the Qatari state daily Al-Sharq says: “The insistence of the Israeli entity’s government to allow the settlers to hold the provocative Israeli Flag March that is set for today, Sunday [May 29], and to invade East Jerusalem and its neighborhoods clearly invites an escalation and ignites a new cycle of violence in the region in response to a benighted and extremist right-wing ideology and the settlers’ Judizing and expansion plans.
“This march, which marks the anniversary of Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem, has over the years caused many clashes with the Palestinian people, the last of which was the Sword of Jerusalem campaign [i.e,, the round of fighting in Gaza in May 2021], which the Palestinian resistance launched in response to Israel’s military aggression against the Gaza Strip last year…
“Today, in light of the Israeli escalation and the provocative march, it appears that all options are open in terms of the unfolding of events in the Palestinian territories, given the threats conveyed by the Palestinian resistance and the repeated warnings of the Palestinian government, which holds the prime minister of the Israeli entity, the extremist Naftali Bennett, fully and directly responsible for blowing up the arena of conflict and the region as a whole, [and warns that the march] will lead to uncontrollable religious conflicts.
“This escalation and its repercussions, especially the violations against Jerusalem and the holy places there, is a real threat to the security and stability of the region, since it is a blatant act of defiance against the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations, which opens the door to a disastrous regional war.
“It is inconceivable that the international community should take the role of an observer from the sidelines in the face of this severe threat to global peace and security, and fail to take the necessary steps to prevent the disastrous scenarios that may unfold due to the ongoing crimes and provocations of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people.”[2]
