Israel Police are completing preparations ahead of the month of Ramadan which is set to begin in the middle of this week, with police stressing on Sunday that they will work to ensure freedom of worship for Muslims, Jews and Christians during the holidays coming up in the next month.
The police noted that efforts to spread material inciting residents of Jerusalem to violence, including rumors and disinformation concerning holy sites, intensify during Ramadan every year.
During Ramadan, the police will operate a "police awareness" headquarters which will include intelligence and investigative measures in order to conduct enhanced monitoring of incitement and violence online in coordination with forces on the ground.
A district investigative task force will also be established in order to handle the investigations of riots, incitement and similar issues.
The police called on the public to stand against attempts to incite violence and not to listen to false publications. The police stressed that the status-quo on the Temple Mount and at all the holy sites in the city will be upheld.
In recent days, the police have conducted activities and discussions for residents of east Jerusalem in coordination with local authorities. Police held discussions with merchants in east Jerusalem and the Old City, as well as with young residents of the area and local leaders in order to prepare for Ramadan and encourage traffic safety and discourage the use of dangerous materials such as fireworks.
The police called on parents not to let their children take part in riots or violence or to use fireworks.
he police will also use a variety of forces and technological means to detect and handle unusual incidents and thwart illegal activities during the month of Ramadan.
Fireworks are categorized as 'explosive material'
Additionally, on Sunday, the cabinet decided to categorize fireworks as an "explosive material" in a temporary order which will last for nine months. Defining fireworks as an explosive material gives security forces more tools to crack down on the illegal use of fireworks and increases the punishment for those caught using or selling them.
"We made a commitment and are keeping it," said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday. "This is an important step ahead of Ramadan. We will give the security forces and the police all the possible tools to fight terrorism, we will increase enforcement and punishment and lead a clear line in the fight against weapons and explosives."
At a meeting of the Knesset National Security Committee late last month, Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai warned that the police are suffering from a severe manpower shortage which will affect its ability to respond to violence during the month of Ramadan this year.
Shabtai noted that the tensions of Ramadan come as the police are also dealing with securing large protests around the country, a rise in terrorist attacks, car accidents and an increase in murders around the country.
"In every incident, they expect us to be in all places even before the incident happens and with the deployment and stretching out [of police forces], we are now facing serious difficulties in providing a response at the standard and criteria that we think the citizens of Israel deserve to receive," said Shabtai, noting that in Jerusalem, for example, the police need another 500 officers.
The chief of police called for a pay raise for police officers and an improvement in working conditions in order to aid in recruiting the needed officers.
The chief of police called for a pay raise for police officers and an improvement in working conditions in order to aid in recruiting the needed officers.
The chief of police noted that police are working to expand the "Safe City" project which includes installing sensors and cameras to help police to predict disturbances and start handling them as soon as they start, but that they still need a larger budget in order to purchase and install the needed technology.
Shabtai reiterated that while technology is important, the main issue is manpower. "We don't have enough police in these places. In Guardian of the Walls we were caught naked with the number of police officers we had. Our situation has improved a bit in some of the places, but in order to provide security for the citizens of the State of Israel we need many more officers on the streets."
In terms of Jerusalem, the commander of the Jerusalem District of Israel Police, Doron Turgeman, stressed during the committee meeting in late February that, despite the uptick in violence, the police have so far managed to keep the Temple Mount outside the circle of violence.
Both Turgeman and Shabtai pointed out that incitement is one of the main threats that the defense establishment needs to fight at the moment.
"There are a lot of entities who have an interest in spreading incitement and portraying the situation as if Israel is violating the freedom of worship," said Shabtai. "Last year we managed to stop this because we did a live broadcast online from the Mount. When they talk about a situation of large-scale riots on the Mount and you show a photo from within the Mount that shows everyone is coming peacefully, it does the job. The issue of awareness is no less important than the operational tools that we're placing on the table."