A photo of Operation Guardian of the Walls, taken on May 21, 2021. Photo Credit: IDF/Wikimedia Commons

Palestinians are preparing excuses to attack Israel on Sunday, which is Jerusalem Day.

Ma’an is not affiliated with any terror organization. Yet even that news outlet is saying that there is no reasonable alternative to attacking Jews on Sunday, using rockets, terrorism, or both.

Last year’s Jerusalem Day was marked with a war between Israel and Hamas, and with Hamas rockets launched at Jerusalem — endangering the very holy places that Muslims claim are so important to them. To Palestinians, last year’s war between Israel and Hamas was a net positive, because it showed that they could still affect Israel and stop Jews from celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem.

Most Palestinians don’t look at a war that killed hundreds and that destroyed part of Gaza as a loss. To them, it was a victory, and Hamas rode a wave of popularity for months afterwards, as it took on the mantle of “defender of Al Quds and Al Aqsa.”

The Ma’an editorial ends not with a threat, but with a virtual promise:

The statement of the Palestinian Authority and the statement of the Kingdom of Jordan to hold the occupation responsible for the upcoming religious war represents more than a warning of what will happen.

The question is not whether a new battle will take against Israel. Rather, the more accurate question is what miracle can stop the violence.

Palestinians are being primed in all of their media for war.

Israel needs to plan accordingly. And it should say, in no uncertain terms, that it will respond to any threats with the necessary force and resolve. And the Jewish state should publicize and translate these threats today, not after the violence occurs.