Hamas Warns That Its Response To Flag Parade ‘Will Be Like The Previous One’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Incoming prime minister Naftali Bennett may have been hoping for a brief period of calm after entering the prime minister’s office, but his first test will come just a day after he enters that office, with the planned flag parade Tuesday which is due to pass adjacent to the Muslim quarter area and Damascus Gate.

Many left-wing voices in  Israel have called for the cancellation of the parade and Hamas threatened Sunday through Egyptian mediators that if the parade follows its intended route, Hamas will respond as it did in the previous offensive which could lead to a regional conflict. Hamas told the head of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel that “these kind of parades lead to an eruption.”

Hamas also announced a “day of rage” due to the planned parade and similar declarations were heard in Judea and Samaria and amongst Israeli Arabs, with calls to go to the El-Aqsa mosque and “defend” it.

However Bennett will be keen to demonstrate to his right-wing critics that the right side of his government is functioning effectively and maintaining Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem despite terror threats. The parade was supposed to take place Thursday but was cancelled due to police not authorizing the route and due to threats of an immediate terror response. After police met with organizers and negotiated a route adjacent to the Muslim quarter, the previous cabinet authorized the parade for Tuesday, leaving the new government to deal with the possible backlash to the parade.

Incoming Public Security minister Omer Bar-Lev will decide the final route of the parade on Monday together with Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai but its final authorization will require approval of the security cabinet.