Temple Mount rioters and TikTok terror: Israeli police gearing up for Ramadan

The Jerusalem police are “working hand-in-hand” with the IDF and Israeli security agencies to prevent violence and terror during the upcoming Ramadan holiday.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Jerusalem police units are working “hand-in-hand” with Israel’s security agencies and the military to ensure safety and public order in Jerusalem during the upcoming Ramadan holiday, which will see a major influx in visitors to the city, officials told World Israel News.

During a media conference, senior Israeli police officials said that they are bolstering the number of police officers on patrol near the Old City, at Damascus Gate, and the seam line between east and west Jerusalem.

Border Police officers and military troops will provide reinforcements on the ground, the officials said, with the goal of “increasing operational readiness.”

Jerusalem police officers have undergone “cultural sensitivity training” for best practices on interacting with Muslim pilgrims to Jerusalem, many of whom are expected to visit the city from Palestinian Authority-controlled areas in Judea and Samaria.

“We also have Arab Muslim and Arab Christian police officers in our ranks who are going to help us during” the Ramadan and Easter holiday periods, the official said.

The TikTok terror phenomenon, in which Arab youth attack Jews and spread incendiary posts on the social media network, is a particular focus for the police this year.

“During Ramadan, there are those who spread inflammatory material and disinformation, with the goal of taking advantage of innocent young people” and influencing them to carry out attacks, the official said.

“We have formed a special unit that monitors social media incitement and terror,” he explained, emphasizing that the police would “deal uncompromisingly with lawbreakers and troublemakers who will use the holiday to harm public security.”

The Israeli police will be working closely with the Waqf – the Jordanian entity that serves as the Islamic custodian of the Temple Mount – on logistical issues such as water and food delivery for worshippers at the site who are breaking their fasts, along with garbage disposal.

Because the Passover holiday will overlap with Ramadan this year, some have predicted tensions as Jewish visitors tour the Temple Mount, which is the holiest site in Judaism.

Muslim authorities have long held that the mere presence of Jewish visitors at the compound is inherently provocative and could spark clashes during Ramadan.

There “will be no change to the status quo on the Temple Mount,” which sees Jews barred from openly praying at the site and restricted to visits during specific hours, the official said.

The representative stressed that the Israeli police “do not want to” maintain a presence on the Temple Mount and will only enter the compound should rioters begin endangering public security.