jerusalem | Political tensions in Israel, simmering over the plan to withdraw this summer from the Gaza Strip, appear close to boiling over.
In their most sweeping and coordinated protest yet, hundreds of right-wing activists flooded key road junctions across Israeli on Monday, May 16, burning tires and paralyzing traffic despite a heavy police deployment. About 40 people were arrested.
And in a separate case, the Shin Bet announced it had arrested five Israelis suspected of planning to attack the main Muslim shrine on the Temple Mount.
“We are on alert for any and all worst-case scenarios,” Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra said.
Meanwhile, it was announced over the weekend that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will meet with President Bush for the first time on May 26 in Washington. The leaders are expected to focus on the Gaza disengagement and the future of the long-stalled “road map” peace plan.
As for Gaza and the northern West Bank, having overcome all the parliamentary hurdles and ministerial infighting, and having received the blessing of President Bush, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seems intent on carrying out the “disengagement” plans in August.
But Sharon’s certainty might prompt opponents of the plan to opt for extreme measures, officials fear. Right-wing leaders dismiss such statements as political alarmism, but admit that no one can predict what some extremists might attempt.
Topping the list of potential targets is the al-Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount. The five Israelis arrested last month are suspected of planning to fire an anti-tank rocket at the shrine, then fend off security forces with grenades before committing suicide. They denied any wrongdoing.
While such an action would draw the wrath of millions of Muslims against the Jewish state, the tactic of blocking traffic appeared aimed more at fomenting internal strife.
In the Tel Aviv suburb of Givat Shmuel, stalled motorists and sit-down protesters almost came to blows in the absence of an adequate police response.
“You’re not Jews, you’re scum!” one middle-aged man screamed at the young men sprawled in front of his car.
The events highlighted the limitations of Israel’s security forces in handling nationwide demonstrations. Many of the junctions were blocked despite the fact that police had deployed in advance, tipped off by leaflets distributed by a far-right political group called “The National Home” that called for mass demonstrations.
Police sources said undercover patrolmen had been posted at the flashpoint sites, some with video cameras to help track down protest ringleaders. But such follow-up probes may not be necessary: Israeli media quoted unnamed senior members of the Yesha settler council as saying the demonstrations had hurt the anti-disengagement cause by alienating many citizens.
In another sign that withdrawal is inevitable, Channel Two television said “several hundred” families from the main Gaza settlement bloc of Gush Katif had agreed to be relocated to Israel voluntarily, parting company with residents who have vowed to stay put. Settler spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.