According to a report by Voice of Israel Radio on Friday, Mordechai said he believes the month of September, when the Palestinian Authority plans to submit its bid for recognition of a state at the UN Security Council, will pass without incident as will the following months.
Mordechai, who reportedly made the comments during a briefing on Thursday to representatives of the Arab media, added however that the IDF will be ready for any scenario and would defend Israel and its citizens if violent demonstrations occur.
Mordechai’s comments come after earlier in the week, MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), who chairs the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and is a former IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister, said that the IDF will likely have to call up reserves in September.
The concern over violent Arab riots may be legitimate, particularly after the violent riots which took place in May during “Nakba Day.”
During those protests, Lebanese protesters who called themselves Palestinians tried to cross the Israeli border. In another incident, nearly 1,000 Syrian Arabs crossed the border with Israel and invaded the Golan Heights. One of the infiltrators managed to reach Tel Aviv.
