During the second popular uprising which began 20 years ago, the israel Defense Force jailed hundreds of Palestinians, who had been involved or suspected in terrorist activity. Mohammed Salem was one of those who served a long sentence in an Israeli prison but he still says the intifada was “a natural response to Israel’s aggression”.
Mohammed Salem, a Palestinian from the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, says he remembers well those days in September that started the second intifada, or popular uprising.
On 28 September 2000, the leader of Israel’s opposition, Ariel Sharon, visited Temple Mount, a plateau in Jerusalem which is a holy site both for Jews and Muslims.
Although his official reason for visiting was to inspect the construction works taking place in the area, Palestinians viewed his visit as an act of aggression.
However, when protests started spreading – first in Jerusalem and then in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – they did not catch israel by surprise. In fact, the Jewish state was well-prepared for riots and a potential upheaval.
Protests Were Justified
Thousands took part in those demonstrations, hurling stones at the Israel Defense Force (IDF) and clashing with the security workers, venting their anger at Sharon’s move in particular and Israel’s approach to Palestinians in general.
“Sharon’s visit angered us but that was not the final straw: the killing of protesters was,” Salem remembers.
This was why he, with thousands of others, took…
