The United Nations Security Council will meet on Tuesday, April 19. According to several diplomatic sources, the Council’s focus will be the recent unrest in Jerusalem over the past few days.
A decision to convene was made following a proposal from France, China, the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, and Norway to discuss the recent violence in the Old City. Over Easter weekend, at least 165 people were wounded in violent clashes.
The situation intensified at a Jerusalem holy site over the weekend. The location known as the Temple Mount to Jewish people is also known as Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslims. After “dozens of masked men” entered the area, clashes broke out between police and demonstrators, according to Israeli police.
Violence and unrest were sparked when the men began setting off fireworks and throwing stones at the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism. The incident happened with tensions already high with converging celebrations of Ramadan and Passover, along with multiple deadly terror attacks in Israel over the previous few weeks.
Israel added to an already high-security alert, deploying around 2,500 additional police officers on Monday following the incident at the holy site. The UN Security Council meeting announcement followed several UN nations voicing concern over the violence happening in the Old City.
As the custodian of east Jerusalem’s holy places, Jordan pleaded with Israel on Sunday to “stop all provocative measures” that create “further aggravation.”
Jeffrey Stevens is a Senior Writer with ThinkCivics News and a freelance journalist with The Jerusalem Post, focusing on the Vatican’s involvement in world politics. In addition, he is a published author and the founder of Gospel Grammar. Jeffrey is currently pursuing a second degree in theology from Aidan University in Jacksonville, Florida.
