Fast Draw – Temple Mount Riots
This post is also available in: 
עברית (Hebrew)
The sight of the burnt down police checkpoint at the Temple Mount last week seemed unreal. Rioters entered the station as part of a massive riot, later setting the place on fire after looting police equipment.
This week almost every TV channel around the world showed Muslims rioting in central Paris, attacking a police vehicle with metal bars. The policemen didn’t draw their weapons and shoot, not even in the air. The vehicle maneuvered back and forth and managed to escape. To have a scene like that play out in central Paris is an extreme embarrassment.
But what happened on the Temple Mount last week is an even greater embarrassment, and all of it is ours. It will cost us dearly in the very near future. Last Thursday it was the Laylat al-Qadr, signifying the end of the month of Ramadan. Past experience has taught us that thousands of Muslims fill the streets of the Old City and the Temple Mount, creating a highly volatile atmosphere. The Israeli police was prepared, and about 3,000 policemen were stationed around the city in case of riots. As expected, things soon spiraled out of control, with policemen putting themselves in the line of danger to defend the lives of Old City Jewish residents.
iHLS – Israel Homeland Security
The real drama, or embarrassment, of that night occurred where the authorities should have prepared for the worst – the Temple Mount. Angry crowds swept towards the local police station, and the policemen there – according to them – were ordered to abandon the compound immediately. Policemen said they were explicitly ordered to leave everything and escape.
Thousands of rioters took over the abandoned checkpoint and looted everything: Vests, helmets, even office supplies. As their final act of victory they took photos with their loot, the station itself in the background, and finally set the place on fire. Computers with classified information were also stolen.
This police response to violent looters is a true embarrassment, and we’ll be the ones paying the price.
