By Shaul gordon
When it comes to policing a city as complex as Jerusalem, the mission of guarding the status quo is of supreme importance. The importance of the status quo in Jerusalem cannot be overstated, and any deviation can ignite not only the city, but the entire Middle East.
Jerusalem is a holy city to three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Religious sites with huge historical significance are packed next to one another, and highly varied populations live side by side.
This naturally leads to sensitivities and tensions. Jerusalem, central as it is to the three religions, has always been at the center of wars and conflicts, and in this respect, the latest clashes in the city and in its name are nothing new.
Politically, the fact that it is the capital of Israel gives it even more symbolism. The Israeli parliament and state institutions are located in the city. After Israel liberated Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed the Old City as well as the east of the city, the territory of greater Jerusalem grew dramatically.
It is no coincidence that terror attacks in the Second Intifada focused on Jerusalem. Cafes and buses were frequently targeted by suicide bombers because the terror organizations too view Jerusalem as special.
The latest incidents are merely a continuation of this special sensitivity.
Demographically, out of every nine Jerusalemites, three are Arab, and the remainder are divided equally between ultra-orthodox, conservative-religious, and secular Jews.
There have been fierce cultural-religious struggles between ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews, as well as between the ultra-Orthodox and the state. If this wasn’t enough, the ultra-Orthodox themselves are conflicted and divided into various sects.
Demonstrators who want to make their cause known go to Jerusalem, where the government is located.
How should the Israel Police deal with such a city?
The Israel Police is responsible not only for fighting crime, law enforcement, traffic, and public order, but also for security. This is a fairly unique addition to its mission list, compared to other police forces around the world.
As recent events have demonstrated, any deviation from the status quo can set the city on fire. Does Damascus Gate have a new barricade or not? The answer to this question can spark international incidents. It is doubtful whether placing an obstacle anywhere else in the world can lead to mass rioting and be cited as a cause for an armed conflict.
One cannot be a police officer or commander in Jerusalem without knowing its history. In Jerusalem, one does not just decide to change or move things. Instead, the first question is: What did my predecessors do? This is how to avoid stepping into a minefield.
In the latest unrest, the Jerusalem district chief took an operational decision that was correct. Seeking to prevent crowding at Damascus Gate, he placed barricades around the plaza outside the gate. But the consequences were major clashes, because the issue is not the barricades, but rather, the status quo.
On the flip side of the coin, Jews ascending the Temple Mount are seen in a poor light by Muslims at the site. The Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement tried to stop such visits, setting up Murabitoun, male activists, and Murabitat, female activists, to ‘guard’ the Al Aqsa Mosque and prevent Jews from accessing the Temple Mount, which is part of the same compound. The Islamist activists arrived by the busload, and clashes erupted. Israel decided to defend the status quo of Jewish visitations, and banned the Northern Branch using emergency legislation. Soon, quiet returned to the Temple Mount.
The moral of the story is that it is vital to guard the status quo of Arabs and Jews alike in the city.
A second vital ingredient for successful policing in the capital is the integration of the ‘green’ paramilitary Border Police with the ‘blue’ civilian Israel Police. In Jerusalem, the forces are combined. This gives police an edge when, for example, it must respond to major security or criminal challenges in the Shuafat Refugee Camp.
The issue of cultural competence is no less important. This means knowing the population that police are facing and understanding its cultural codes. It means not placing a checkpoint to examine driving licenses at the entrance to an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood two hours before the Sabbath, or just before the end of a Ramadan fast outside of an Arab village.
Police that know the culture of the people it polices and respects it will prevent unnecessary friction, and only deal with those incidents that it must.
Part of cultural competence means developing daily dialogue with the heads of various communities.
This also facilitates the reporting of crimes in communities that often refrain from turning to the police and prefer to deal with incidents internally.
Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religious leaders attended a ceremony marking the changing of the Jerusalem district police commander, because he is everyone’s district chief.
The chief must not be perceived as being on the side of one community at the expense of another, but as upholding the rule of law, without question. Such ties can also enable police to send messages to community leaders to help calm the atmosphere during tensions and prevent incidents.
In such a heterogeneous and explosive city, these are the tools that police have at their disposal to keep Jerusalem stable. In such a complex city, the Israel Police cannot let up for even one moment, because one small match can set Jerusalem and even the entire Middle East ablaze.
Brigadier General Shaul Gordon has extensive experience serving in a legal capacity within the Israel National Police (INP) and the Israel Defense Forces, including holding the position of Senior Legal Advisor to the INP from 2006-2016. Read full bio here.