Israel Braces for Border Clashes

Military expects protests to mark anniversary of 1967 war
Posted May 30, 2011 4:58 AM CDT
Israel Braces for Border Clashes
Palestinians hold the red, white and black Egyptian flag (L) along with the Palestinian flag, during a rally in support of Egypt at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on May 28, 2011, after Egypt reopened the border, allowing people to cross freely for the first time in...   (Getty Images)

With another round of Facebook-organized protests to mark the anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the Israeli military is bracing for violence, seeking to avoid a repeat of the unrest from two weeks ago, reports AP. The army will set up "red lines" for demonstrators, not allowing them to cross the borders as they did on May 15, said a senior military official.

The military official also said that Israel will only crack down on violent protests, not peaceful gatherings, even large ones near settlements. The Israeli military is also preparing for possible protests in the West Bank in September, when a UN vote is scheduled on Palestinian independence. While Palestinian activists have been increasingly trying to arrange large, non-violent protests in the lead-up to the September vote, the military official said that it would not take much to spark fighting. "Unfortunately, we have seen lots of demonstrations turn violent," he warned. (More Israel stories.)

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