Bracing for violence during the Islamic month of Ramadan on top of international passions about the war against Hamas, Israel’s National Security Council issued an advisory reminding citizens traveling abroad to act responsibly.
“Muslim terrorist organizations see Ramadan as an opportunity to carry out attacks and acts of violence. During this period, the incitement and calls by elements of radical Islam (with an emphasis on global jihad organizations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda) to carry out attacks are increasing,” the NSC wrote.
Terrorist organizations are expected to exploit the war and tensions on the Temple Mount, “to incite activists and supporters to carry out attacks against Israelis/Western targets.”
Ramadan is expected to begin at sundown on March 10.
Since October 7, anti-war demonstrations have swept the Arab world. Israel has warned its citizens against traveling to most Arab countries, and singling out Turkey for the highest threat level.
Israeli citizens are prohibited from visiting Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Iraq. Israelis are also advised against flights entering the airspace of Iran, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Pakistan and Algeria, as Israel does not have diplomatic relations with those countries.
A Month of Violence
Palestinian terror in Israel has surged ahead of and during Ramadan during the last several years.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh recently called on Palestinians to stage a mass march on the Temple Mount on the first day of Ramadan. Hamas has also threatened an “explosion” of rage if Israel moves to restrict Muslim worshippers from visiting the Temple Mount during Ramadan.
On Sunday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a 13-minute video calling for Ramadan to become “a month of terror” and urging “unity of the battlefields,” a reference to the escalation and participation of Iranian proxy terror groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen against Israel.
Image - Jamal Awad/Flash90