Israeli Security Forces on High Alert for Nakba Day

Israel’s security forces went on high alert throughout the country on Sunday as Arab citizens of Israel and the Palestinians, as well as the Arab world mark what the call Nakba or catastrophe day, the day on the Gregorian calendar that Israel became an official state.

Hamas called on all Palestinians to travel on Sunday to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount, to mark the day, which falls out on the Jewish observance of Pesach Sheni, or Second Passover, which in biblical times was the day of the pascal lamb sacrifice for those who had been unable to do so on Passover. An organization supporting the right of Jews to visit the Temple Mount called on Jews to visit the site on Sunday, setting up the possibility of violence. Al Aqsa/Temple Mount was the site of violent clashes between Israeli security officers and Muslim worshippers in April and the beginning of this month during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which this year coincided with Passover and Easter. Eastern Jerusalem also saw violence on Friday during the funeral of slain Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.

Also on Sunday,  the Erez Crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip reopened, allowing 12,000 Palestinians in the who hold Israeli work permits to enter Israel. The crossing had been closed since May 3 for Israel’s Memorial and Independence days; it had been scheduled to reopen on May 6 but remained closed after a terror attack in the central Israeli city of El Ad that killed three Israeli men.