In September 2000, Netanyahu’s late mentor, Ariel Sharon, incited the 2nd intifada by his intentionally provocative visit to the sacred Al­-Asqa Mosque (also known to Jews as the Temple Mount). The word ‘intifada’ being Arabic, meaning to revolt against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

The Al-­Aqsa Mosque itself is part of a compound that is widely considered the third holiest site in Islam. Israel asserted its control over it by incorporating East Jerusalem into occupied Jerusalem in 1980. Now Likud Premier, Binyamin Netanyahu, has provoked further violence by emulating the discredited actions of his predecessor. As a result, there have been more than 20 flash points in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in recent weeks, leading to violence and killings on both sides.

‘In the past 11 days of violence, alone, five Palestinians have been killed, including a 13 year old boy from a refugee camp in Bethlehem who locals said was shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers as he was walking home from school.’

The actions of this Netanyahu government give rise to the suspicion that it is planning the initial steps to illegally annex both East Jerusalem and the West Bank. If so, it would lead to an Intifada that could spread to encompass the entire region, with frightening consequences.