On Wednesday, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A real political bomb.
Even the allies, the European Union, the majority in NATO, including France and, of course, Turkey, and 1.5 billion Muslims all over the World criticized Trump's signature. Moreover, Lebanon demands to impose sanctions against the US. Today, the Council of the Arab League at the level of foreign ministers called for the international recognition of Palestine.
In general, Trump's decision provokes radical Islamic terrorism. In response, America can expect new terrorist attacks on its territory.
Meanwhile, blood has already been spilled in street clashes between Palestinians and Israelis. There are dead and hundreds of wounded.
The feeling is that Trump did Israel a disservice.
Sergey Pashkov, chief of Vesti Middle East department, on what's going on there now.
The most fierce fights take place in the Christmas city — Bethlehem. For the fourth day in a row, people throw bottles and stones at the police. Israeli special forces respond with rubber bullets, gas, and water cannons.
East Jerusalem, where there are no signs in Hebrew, where many keep old Jordanian passports, and where residents of the western part of the city would not walk, flamed up like dry straw.
Ahmad Tibi, leader of the Arab Movement for Change (Ta'al) in the Knesset: "I urge the world community to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state. Al-Quds was a Palestinian city before Trump and it will be after him".
A swift blow and the Six-Day War won half a century ago will bring Israel full military control over the ancient city. Military control, but not political. Despite the law on Jerusalem, a single and indivisible capital, passed by the Knesset in 1980, the UN Security Council won't recognize Israel's sovereignty over the eastern part of the city.
For the Palestinians, this is the future capital of the nation-state the place where the Prophet ascended, where the third and the fourth most ancient and holy mosques of the Islamic world are located.
For the Jews, this is the memory of the temple built by Solomon. The sky and walls of this place keep the features of ancient Israel.
Jerusalem is the center, the essence, and the reason of the Arab-Israeli crisis. It had already become the cause of the Intifada and violent clashes. Today it draws new participants into the conflict.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel: "I hear the voices criticizing the historic decision of President Trump. But I heard no one to criticize missile strike carried out against Israel and acts of provocation against us. I'm not ready to tolerate this hypocrisy".
The "Day of Wrath" starts with a prayer on the Temple Mount. In an effort not to provoke the Islamic youth this time the police lets everyone come to the Al-Aqsa Mosque without age restrictions. The imam's Friday sermon is about to end and the Palestinian national flag appears over the 30,000 crowd. Chanting "Allahu Akbar!" people are moving to the Damascus gates.
This is how usually the riots begin. As soon as the Friday's noon prayer ends, young people stream the Palestinian national flag and take to the streets chanting slogans in support of the Palestinian state and Jerusalem as its future capital.
At the same time, clashes with police begin in several cities in the West Bank of Jordan, in the Arab villages of East Jerusalem. Armored horse police secure the central street of Sultan Süleyman.
The "Day of Wrath" in Palestine is a clash with the police special forces at the Damascus gates in Jerusalem. It's throwing rocks on Sultan Süleyman Street in the center of Jerusalem, it's rubber bullets and tear gas at the Kalandia checkpoint in Ramallah, and a demonstration in Bethlehem.
In Gaza, one shoots to kill. The command claims that the fire was aimed at the feet of provocateurs, urging demonstrators to break through the so-called fence of security.
The Red Crescent will report on 200 victims on Friday. Most of them suffered from tear gas and shock grenades. But on the next day, the clashes will continue.
Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, said that Trump, with his speech, is destroying a skidding for years peace process and the US is now a party to the conflict, not an intermediary.
Nabil Shaath, adviser to the head of the Palestinian National Authority on international affairs: "Will the Palestinians respond to Trump? Yes, they will. I suppose, we won't be able to control the methods and means that people will use to express their indignation".
The oldest and closest associate of Mahmoud Abbas made a tough, almost ominous warning. The Palestinian government will not be able to keep radical groups in Gaza for which missiles are an acceptable argument in such a discussion. One of several missiles launched by fighters of Salah Al-Deen Brigades would hit the street of Sderot.
The surface to surface missile hit the road, and the fragments scattered all around.
The head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, calls on Palestinians for the Intifada of Al-Quds for an uprising in Jerusalem and throughout the region.
Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas: "We should let the Palestinians show their rage and espouse the eternal right for Jerusalem and Palestine".
At the emergency summit of the Arab League, Washington is accused of violating international conventions.
In Cairo, Amman, Beirut, Istanbul, Trump portraits are torn in the demonstrations and the American flag is burnt.
But the conflicts and contradictions of kings, emirs, and presidents of the Islamic world allow Israeli politicians to hope that the declared Intifada will not take place.
Ksenia Svetlova, a member of Knesset for the Zionist Union:"The Middle East is over the hill. I mean, these radical organizations that want to launch jihad are enemy №1 of those Arab regimes that wage a real war against them".
The situation in the region is on the brink. Any new victim, new blood can make the war irreversible.
Sergey Pashkov, Varvara Galemba, Aleksandr Ivanyuk Vesti — News of the Week, from Jerusalem.
