Following the three terror attacks on March 22, March 27 and March 29, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited yesterday flashpoint Damascus Gate at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City. Accompanied by Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, Lapid expressed his support of Israel’s law enforcement agencies, tweeting, “I participated today at a situation-assessment meeting at the Jerusalem Police headquarters, together with Commissioner Shabtai, and then toured the Damascus Gate area. This is a difficult, tense period, but we have a police force that can be relied on to get us through this complex period. We give you full backing.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it "condemns in the strongest terms the provocative incursion by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in the Bab al-Amud (Damascus Gate) area in occupied Jerusalem," adding it "strongly condemns the promises he (Lapid) made to Jewish extremists to deploy more occupation forces and police in Jerusalem under the pretext of providing protection for them during the Jewish holidays."
Still, in parallel to this visit, and in parallel to the Israel Defense Forces' preparation for possible escalation of violence, Israeli leadership has been engaged in recent days in diplomatic efforts to calm tensions. Israel currently tries pressuring the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza not to escalate tensions.
Reportedly, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and senior officials in their respective offices have been working vis-a-vis Amman, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Washington and other capitals in order to prevent any further breakout of violence. Like Jordan, Turkey and Morocco have championed over the years the Palestinian cause, and especially in relation to east Jerusalem and the Muslim holy sites. Israel also believes Turkey has special relations with Hamas, hosting an office of the organization in Istanbul. Israel also makes a point of involving its close ally the Emirates in all regional efforts.
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