Israeli Minister: Iran is Behind the 'Instigation' Over Al-Aqsa

In the ongoing widespread clashes in Israel over the 'Noble Sanctuary', the Israeli Minister of Interior believes that the Islamic Republic is behind the 'instigations' concerning the Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to Israeli media, Aryeh Deri, the Minister of Interior, on Tuesday, August 3, did not provide any evidence for his accusations. The Minister also stated that Iran has attempted to divert attention from the northern border, which poses a 'vital threat' to Israel, by creating a crisis over Al-Aqsa. The accusation against Iran by the Israeli Minister comes amid extensive clashes between Palestinians and Israel over the 'Noble Sanctuary'. A year and a half ago, during another crisis where Palestinians claimed to defend Al-Aqsa, some Israeli security and political officials alleged that Iran supported Palestinian groups named 'Murabitoon' and 'Murabitat' to incite unrest at Al-Aqsa. However, the new claim by the Israeli Minister regarding the 'hidden hand of Iran' in the recent Al-Aqsa crisis comes as Haaretz reported on Tuesday, citing Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, that Arab representatives in the Israeli parliament have caused 'instigations at Al-Aqsa'. On the other hand, according to recent polls, the majority of the Israeli public considers the Prime Minister's handling of this crisis unsuccessful. The Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday, August 4, that 77% of Israelis believe Benjamin Netanyahu acted passively in dealing with Jordan over the Al-Aqsa crisis. The new round of the Al-Aqsa crisis began on Friday, July 23, following an armed attack by three Arab citizens of Israel that resulted in the deaths of two Druze Arabs who were members of the Israeli security forces at one of the entrances to Al-Aqsa, and it continues. Shortly after that attack, Israel installed metal detectors at the entrances to the mosque to prevent weapons from being brought back into Al-Aqsa. Palestinian protests and anger over the gates have so far led to the deaths of at least five Palestinians, and simultaneously, last Friday night, an attack by a Palestinian assailant on the home of an Israeli family in a settlement in the West Bank resulted in the deaths of three family members. Concurrently, relations between Jordan, which is the custodian of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Israel soured over the killing of two Jordanians by an Israeli embassy guard in Amman. The crisis between Israel and Jordan ended two days after it began, early Tuesday morning, with a deal in which the Israeli Prime Minister ordered the removal of electronic detectors at the entrances to Al-Aqsa, and in return, Jordan released the Israeli guard and handed him over to Israel without any interrogation in Jordan. However, despite the removal of the metal detectors on Tuesday morning, Palestinians continue to protest and clash with Israeli security forces around Al-Aqsa. According to media from both sides, at least 30 more Palestinians were injured on Tuesday night in clashes with Israeli security forces, and several others were arrested. Palestinians say they will refrain from entering Al-Aqsa until the situation returns to its previous state. Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister claimed that 'Iran is trying to fill the void left by ISIS' at the Syrian border with Israel. According to Israeli media, Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday while he was present at the Israeli-Syrian border points, 'The regional situation is changing rapidly; ISIS has retreated significantly, but Iran is trying to take ISIS's place.' Netanyahu claimed that Iran has created a 'northern crescent' threat by providing 'precise weapons' to Hezbollah. Netanyahu's reference likely pertains to precision-guided missiles made in Iran, which Israeli officials have previously expressed concern about being delivered to Hezbollah. The Israeli Prime Minister, without providing further explanation, stated that his country 'is addressing these threats.'