Crisis in the Middle East: The third intifada would be worse than the previous ones

After three young Jewish men were kidnapped and killed, and then a young Palestinian, tensions are rising in the Middle East. It is feared that the riots and conflicts could turn into another Palestinian uprising - the intifada.

"This is worse than the first and second intifadas. I just want the hatred and bloodshed to stop!” says 46-year-old Mohamed Abu Khdeir. He is a close relative of the 17-year-old Palestinian who was kidnapped and killed last week.

Tensions between Palestinians and Jews escalated after three young Jewish men were kidnapped and then killed. After those murders, a young Palestinian was abducted, who, judging by the results of the autopsy, was burned alive.

Riots broke out, especially in the Shuafat neighborhood of Jerusalem. In the meantime, the Israeli police reported that they had arrested several people suspected of being involved in the murder of a Palestinian and that they were "extremist Jews".

Mohamed Abu Kdeir lives in East Jerusalem and is unhappy about the outbreak of violence. He moved his children outside the Shuafat district: "I don't want my children to see this, they are still small. I don't want anyone to experience something like this."

"Barbaric Act"

Kdeir adds that what happened to the Palestinian young man is terrible: "The fact that they burned him horrified absolutely everyone." It is a barbaric act. Terrible. I have Jewish friends who called me afterwards and expressed their condolences. They are close to the political left and do not belong to the right-wing current. They are nice people and I care about them. I told them I wasn't surprised they called, because they are good people. We have to do something! I fear for my children!”

Mohamed is not asking too much. He wants children to be able to go to school or college in peace. He himself does not dare to set foot near Jewish settlements.

The tension is rising

Tensions are growing between Jews and Palestinians, and Mohammed believes that the situation is worse than during the first and second intifadas (Palestinian uprising).

"The smell of revenge is in the air," he says: "Everybody just wants to get revenge. Yesterday I read in the newspaper about thousands of Israeli soldiers who are ready to take revenge. Everyone seemed to have gone mad. I did not experience this either during the first or the second intifada. I have never witnessed this much hatred, this much hostility and this much change in the attitude of people in society."

Most people do not want a new uprising, he claims. Everyone is still living with the trauma of the last uprising, which ended in 2005. If there is a third one, it will be even worse. "Then everyone will be affected, even moderate people, those who would never take part in these things - and on both sides. The tension is high, and the situation is changing for the worse. People feel powerless. Everything is in the hands of the Israeli government," asserts Mohammed.

Where is the European Union?

The United States of America, a longtime close ally of Israel, sent expressions of condolences during the past week accompanied by a sharp warning from President Barack Obama to all parties "not to take any steps that lead to destabilization of the situation."

Mohamed wants stronger EU involvement because he thinks it has more influence on the Israeli government: "The Europeans could ask some questions and ask Israel to refrain." The position of the EU has always been somewhat better than that of the USA. We don't even want to hear about them anyway. The Palestinians urgently need their own state, more than any other Arab people."

Human suffering and economic damage

Shuafat, normally a lively district with numerous shops, has changed a lot these days.

Trains no longer run, facades and buildings are damaged, streets are full of debris, and shops are closed. Mohammed is afraid. He says all this affects the people who live there.

"This will cost a lot to both society and the government, which may want to fix this one day. Although I myself don't know when it could be done."

Destroying buildings and property is certainly not the way to solve problems, he believes. Mohamed wishes for a different way of expressing his displeasure:

"We need solidarity. We need to march together, we need placards and slogans. Something that is in keeping with this time. I repeat - I have never experienced anything like this before, my heart is breaking. From everything I read and know - things are only getting worse. I don't want to see people suffer. I'm really afraid of what else can happen."

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