Israel Police battle Arab rioters on Temple Mount; PA official arrested

"A true religion is tolerant" A very nice thought. Fact is, that the world has seen more than its fair share of religious movements devoted to the glorification of war and violence. Remember Jesus' words when he warned against the false prophets: "ye shall know them by their fruits". Many people heeded his call to forego violence and to "render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar?s". In the end the extremists won the day, and mainstream christianity has since tried to present a two-faced God to the world: both cruel and loving, murderous and charitable, good and evil.

Give every Jewish soldier the authority to shoot to kill any Arab who throws a rock at him or covers his face with a mask. Then we'll be speaking to them in a language they understand, and the contempt they now feel for us will be replaced with respect, and fear.

Well known to whom? It was well known that Sharon threatened to visit the area so of course a respnse would have been planned. It is well known now that we have a rightest Israeli government who are hell bent on taking over Arab areas. What else do you expect but a "response."

Why was the deputy for Abbas on the Temple Mount exhorting those who were rioting rather than attempting to restore order? For a man of peace, his actions were abhorent.

what were the Arabs

do not be too confident.

just like they did in the Hebron pogrom

i never wanted to see anything happen to the al aqsa mosque until now. what is the story, palestinians? do you every single one of you need to be locked up in mental institutions and it's just the few i know who happen to be sane?

Modern states and responsible people act on reliable information, not rumours even if they are not spread for political purposes. Why is the rioting going on? Don't be ridiculous. There is tremendous political advantage in being anti-Jewish and Israeli and distracted the Pal population at this time. As to Israel taking over Jerusalem through brute force in 1948 and 1967, it was Arab nations that chose to attack Israel. And it wasn't until 1967 that Israel took back what its people had been excluded from. It did so without excluding Arabs from their place of worship. They had every right to to do so. If Israel were to take control of the the Dome of the Rock, and Arabs were to try to get it back using violence, would you criticize them for using violence????

Why should the USA stop backing Israel? Because it is under assault from fascists, anti-semitic, delusionary, violent religious bigots????? What is going on in the Temple Mount is outrageous and pure provocation by the Pals, nothing short of that. The fact is that Israel should not have stoped short of going into the Mosque, just as Israeli police chasing ciminals must be willing to follow them into synagogues or churches. There cannot be sanctuaries for ciminals. Of course, I don't think they should go into the Mosque as the first option. They should make every effort to get the Muslim leadership to require those responsible to leave the mosque but if that doesn't work, they must do what is necessary to preserve the rule of law.

It seems to me that both sides,yes BOTH sides have this ongoing friction, clashes, and injured. No one for a moment believes in the Arab RUMOURS, yet the Arab youths continue to riot. To close the MOUNT is not in anyones interest. What should be done then? Remove the Police this is a national defence issue and lay down the law. Israels sovereign right is to be on the Mount and control ONLY peaceful worship. Supress the riots once and for all - they dont have to let off steam as a safety valve against the Police. If we fought off 3 sovereign arab countries in wartime surely we can stop a few hundred uneducated hot heads. HAL.

This is a well known fact. Are they now preparing for 3rd Intifada and lookingt for excuse?

A true religion is tolerant. Religious people behave, and this goes for members of ALL religions. Intolerance has nothing to do with religion. This is political only. Religion is not a sword to wield on others - it is a personal relationship. Church ruling state is a disaster from the get-go. In extreme forms you see the results of this in the chaotic/totalitarian nightmares of all the Islamic states. It's time for a worldwide enlightenment/renaissance/reformation into a HUMAN world.

Shalom - you are of course correct. Do not let the usual "suspects" here deter you. Kol Hakoved - Hatzlecha!!!

If facts matter to you, then consider three: (1) Israel has never threatened Al-Aqsa with harm; instead, it allows the hostile Waqf to run the place. (2) By accusing Israel of malice, Palestinian-Arabs and Israel-citizen Arabs offer each other up as human shields for political gain. (3) Folks like you rejoice in this or, at least, fall for it. So come clean: you don't want peace; you don't want "justice" for Palestinian Arabs. You probably want to see Jewish blood flow. Don't expect Israelis to play along with it.

repeat what Sharon did and trigger the second intifada. (or now, the 3rd) The Temple Mount is always a hot spot. Do a stupid act akin to throwing a match.. Very explosive real estate... A full blown intifada could stop the US progress on peace.

If you look back at past pal disruptions you are able to recognize these same tactics.

What better way for Arab Muslims to gain sympathy than to riot on the Temple Mount, blaming the Jews for what they themselves have done? They did exactly that in the last intifada. Sharon got permission from Arafat to go to the Temple Mount, then (wait for it... wait for it...) the moment Sharon stepped upon the Mount, Arafat picked up the phone and said, "Go getum, boys!!" (from an article by Jon Lee Anderson). If there is war it will be because these politicized extremists started it. Someone once said in Iraq the peace will come when Muslims love their children more than they love war. The same here.

Why does the world believe the Palestinians when they are deliberately fomenting and inciting violence with lies and half-truths regarding extremist settlers invading the mosque, when in fact, only tourists and law abiding citizens who happen to be Jews are the ones who have been victimized. Where is the reporting from Western journalists to investigate why clerics are inciting this rampant hatred against Jews. It is time to stop this nonsense and racism. Jerusalem belongs to the Jews and to the Arabs and to Christians. It is time to make Jerusalem an international city state, neither a part of Israel nor Palestine. It should be run by the United Nations instead with democratic structures to ensure equal participation of people of all faiths based on population.

... at least in matters relating to the Temple Mount...

You believe a mock up rendition of a Jewish Temple justifies physical violence by Palestinians. Unless you find in the Jewish Quarter religious Jew actually gearing up for construction on Temple Mount and putting peacefully protesting Palestinians into hospitals with broken arms all you can do is jump and down in vain with your phony argument. No, my ferocious friend, religious Jews do not act like that. Of course, there are some deranged people among them. However, as a universally accepted rule among the Haredim, the issue of the Third Temple is left entirely up for the Devine.

... just common-or-garden hot-headed Mediterranian types... amazing how well we Jews integrated... must be the climate...

As they called for the riots based on a rumor

Or you believe the Iranians built a nuclear facility on a military base, inside a tunnel in a mountain which is is too small for a power plant, for peaceful use?

Hey Leon, I just loved your closing line: "typical israeli basher" Get used to it because us bashers will be heard and hopefully EVERY penny we give this sorry, disgraceful country will be stopped soon.

Esther asks us not to be angry at those Muslim Arabs swarming from the north throwing Molotov cocktails and stones, and flammable oil on police officers, and demands we be more understanding toward them, after all they have been always seen in the eyes of the left the retarded kids of the world. And that is why in the eyes of the left it is illogical to demand responsibility, morality, or simply to ask they abide the law. After all they are the retarded kids of the world!

Both were "far from being as-pure-as-the-driven-snow...". So you would not be able to find the moral distinction between them...

And is a bit bewildered by what it's success breeds. The right will not be happy until the region is in flames. And then they will be unhappy.

who cares what the Pals do? They are good at calling up frenzied mobs, why battle them?

Hey Friends, Türkiye is wacthing you...

Religious Jews cannot be at the Temple Mount and if they had anything to do with these events it would be to prevent other Jews from going to the Temple Mount. Legally they can go but religiously they cannot. Everyone in the Middle East knows this, so who is going to vandalize the Al-Aqsa Mosque? Whoever mentioned the proximity of the renewed riots with the recently announced elections nailed the problem to the "t". It's classic Mid East politicking, the ole' flash n'bang what $200 million in UN relief smoke in the eyes... works like a charm.

Lynn, if you think calling for riots, based on a 'rumour' is bad, what do you think of calling for a bombing on the same basis? Because that is what the calls for the bombing of Iran are. (PS expect a lot more trouble coming from the West Bank in the next couple of months. Fatah can't run on a platform of clean government, can't run on a platform of concessions won from Israel, and can't even run on the peace process. They can run on the issue of less destruction in the WB, but it won't win them many votes. They need to appear tough, and what is the easiest way to do that?)

You are totally right Esther.......but our Jewish fanatics are worse than of the Moslems....a reality that the world now understand and we dare not to stop increasing our enemies around the world untill we get it on our heads.

For the long term benefits of peace in Jerusalem in particular, and Israel, I think the Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock should be dismantled. It should be done with respect, and shipped down to Mecca or someplace where it could be rebuilt. It may create some near term strife, but in the long run, it would be worthwhile. There is no room in the world for a religion that is used as a pretext for constant violence.

Nothing is as simple as it appears... Yesterday there was an apparent 'official' announcement that today religious Jews and tourists would visit the Temple Mount, therefore there would be beefing-up of police presence in the whole vicinity today... That announcement alone did not auger well for a peaceful Sunday morning... it presaged the outcome... I continue to maintain that both sides are far from being as-pure-as-the-driven-snow...

I don't feel the way you do.Don't talk for all jews

I would be very interested in hearing whether your definition that our police must not tolerate hooliganism extends to haredim in Jerusalem and settlers in the West Bank.

Just to spite the Israelis? Maan News reported that on Saturday evening Muslim officials and institutions called on worshippers to prevent the entry of rightwing Israeli groups and individuals who had announced their intention to enter the Noble Sanctuary under armed guard. The Jerusalem Post reported that a group calling itself "Eretz Israel Shelanu" had urged its followers "to properly arise to the Temple Mount", supposedly to commemorate a visit by Maimonides 843 years ago. A number of Israeli lawmakers and rabbis were amongst those expected to participate. In view of the countless facts on the ground, leading to the Zionist take over of Arab Palestine using brute force in 1948/1967 I do not blame the Palestinian Arabs at all for feeling weary about Zionist intentions. Go and visit the shopfront in the Jewish Quarter, where an extremist Jewish group is displaying a model of the Third Temple, to arise instead of and not next to al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock!

Esther and Israeli grandma.... I would simply say that both of you are right. This is the Temple Mount... that being the case, I suspect millions of Moslems are watching. It's extremely important for Israeli authorities to act in a manner that this Holy site deserves. That is, with extreme reverence and sensitivity for what this place means to Palestinians and the Muslim religion in general. We Jews are the custodians and with that comes responsibility.... no excuses. Even though, at times Palestinian Imams don't practice their own obligations to this issue. Kind Regard...

When football fans clash each other, or the police, what authorities do? in any western country they disrupt the clashes and close the stadium.....for weeks, even months!!! thats what isarel should do, to close access to the temple month for a limited time, no one in! That will show those arab rioters that they wont win anything doing such things.

either part of the leadership needs this rioting very much at the moment or there's a big need among the arab youth to have a riot & it's being catered to. or both. so far, no "jewish extremists" nor an "attempt of conquest" have been seen near the compund & the rioters' claims have already been found empty & false once, ie a few weeks ago. someone should do an investigation into where exactly these rumours come from & whether there's any truth to them at all.

if the Muslims can't respect the authorities and only want to incite murder, then Israel should close the Temple Mount to all, no one should be allowed there until a peace treaty is signed with the Arabs- how's that for an incentive?!

"it is therefore WE who must set the conciliatory tone here, not the Pals..." No of course nobody will touch or blame Pals lady no worries.They can do whatever they want. Esther,when Arabs throw stones and hurle Molotov coctails what does police conciliatory ton mean?Please explain. "... goes on ALL the time, verbally or otherwise, a fact the police should take into account..." Give me some examples of fanatic religious Jewish provocation that started Sunday Arab riots. Another typical Israeli basher.

Nothing but racially-based hooliganism - another excuse for lazy kids who don't work or study to pass the morning, knowing that they are fairly safe. If a bank is held up by 2 robbers with toy guns, would the police send two cops with toy guns to deal with them, or an entire, well armed task force? Don't even mention "fanatic religious Jews" when the source of this problem is Islamofacist religious leaders in northern Israel.

yep, makes perfect sense.

I don't understand why people continue to support the throwing of stones when the police have weapons. It's totally idiotic. If leaders want to change equality, civil disobedience is the way to go. Yes, people will still be arrested and treated cruelly, but you will garner more support in the process. When people see stone-throwing Palestinians on the television, all they think is..."that's pretty dumb." Where are the leaders in all these protests? Everyone always seems to send in the youths to do their dirty work (IDF soldiers included). Why don't the leaders stand in the doorways and say, "Enough." Also, stationing more police around the area on Sundays seems like an escalation. Instead, the police should draw down while the leaders within the Israeli government should figure out how to quell the rumors within the Palestinian communities.

The Jews are NOT to blame here. There has been a spate of Arab incitement in recent weeks, and calls from their religious leaders to riot at the Temple Mount. This is serious & cynical political manipulation by the Arab "leaders" especially now that Abbas has declared elections in January producing even more internal strife in the Arab sector. Attacking the Jews is the standard distraction technique were all used to for years now, and our Police must not tolerate hooliganism. Like it or not, Israel is the Government over here and must maintain order.

... that we are as much to blame as they are, but we are ARMED... ... hope that the police bear that significant difference in mind, all the time... ... it is therefore WE who must set the conciliatory tone here, not the Pals... ... fanatic religious Jewish provocation goes on ALL the time, verbally or otherwise, a fact the police should take into account...