Islamic leader tells Haaretz: Temple Mount clashes won't end until occupation of Jerusalem does
Riots in Jerusalem continue as heads of Hamas and the Islamic Movement call protesters to the site.
By Jack Khoury, Liel Kyzer and Barak Ravid Tags: Jerusalem Hamas Israel newsAn Israel Defense Forces soldier and a Border Police officer were lightly injured on Monday on the second day of clashes between police and Palestinian protesters in East Jerusalem.
The soldier, a Military Police officer, was stabbed in the neck and lightly wounded near the Shuafat checkpoint. The perpetrator, a 16-year-old from the nearby village of Anata, was held for questioning. The Border Police officer was injured by stones hurled by rioters near Shuafat refugee camp, where seven demonstrators were detained. Approximately 50 protesters have been detained since the clashes began Sunday.
Despite the heightened tension in the city, tens of thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the Old City's Western Wall Plaza to participate in the recitation of the traditional priestly blessing performed on Sukkot and other major holidays. The ceremony proceeded without incident, but earlier in the day Palestinians hurled stones at ultra-Orthodox visitors to the Mount of Olives.
Police also dispersed around 150 Palestinians who had blocked the road next to the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum in East Jerusalem, refusing to budge.
Jerusalem District police discovered a number of wheelbarrows next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque filled with stones and cinder blocks, which officers said protesters had planned to hurl at both security forces and Jewish worshippers praying at the Western Wall.
The upgraded state of alert in the Old City will continue today, out of concern that the protesters will answer the call aired by the heads of Hamas and the Islamic Movement in Israel to arrive at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to "protect" the area, which sits atop the Temple Mount.
Jerusalem police said Monday that only Muslim worshippers over the age of 50 would be allowed entry to the mount, in an effort to prevent further disturbances.
Despite the Palestinian Authority's calls for the international community to protest Israel's "provocations" on the Temple Mount, the U.S. administration has not issued any statements of concern to the government in Jerusalem. A State Department briefing Monday did not refer to the issue either.
Senior Foreign Ministry officials, however, on Monday briefed their counterparts at the U.S. embassy in Israel about the disturbances - which they said were not Israel's doing, but "provocation" on the part of Islamic extremists.
Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch and Police Commissioner David Cohen toured the Temple Mount Monday during a security assessment, and announced that they would "take steps" in the coming days against Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement.
Salah told Haaretz on Monday that the clashes would last as long as Israel's "occupation" of the city and Al-Aqsa Mosque continued. He said the Israeli government must understand that using force does not grant it rights to Al-Aqsa Mosque or anywhere else in East Jerusalem, and that the key to achieving calm in the area is an Israeli "withdrawal."
"No one has rights to the Al-Aqsa Mosque other than the Muslims. The mosque compound is Muslim, Palestinian and Arab, and Israel has no rights to the mosque or East Jerusalem," he said.
Salah has been prohibited from entering the Temple Mount area for several months, and has been staying at a nearby residence while following developments. The Islamic Movement leader reiterated his call for Arabs within Israel's Green Line and in Jerusalem to protest beside the mount to "protect Al-Aqsa from the infiltration of extremist Jewish elements."
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
I very much doubt that they have the nads to do so. They are so blatantly slanted, and not in a good way.
so Israel still profiteers from it.
Now that Jerusalem is in its rightful owners' hands, it will never be occupied again.
because Jews already aren't allowed to worship on the Temple Mount-it riles up the Arabs, you see. Any comment?
What needs to happen before Haaretz takes a responsible approch to this man? This man is dangerous so report him as such.
When we were kids playing in our back yard, and one of the neighborhood kids started making trouble, Mother would come out and tell the trouble maker, "Go Play in your own backyard." One state, all the land "occupied" west of the Jordan River, and deport the trouble makers.
The riots will last longer then the end of the "occupation". When the occupation is over than there will be a new struggle for who is the right winner and who has the right to be the winner. They will never learn anything. So be strong and don;t give in to these fanatics.
I think that we should give them a trial period of having east jerusalem to themselves and not enter but, this also means that they get no water from israeli water mains, no electricity from israel and if the sewage systems are israeli owned (which they are) switch them off and then lets see how their muslim brothers come and help them. And at least we give them freedom to pray where they want unlike how they treated us and christians when they had jerusalem
... the world should forget about it ! The Arab-Islam have many problems; left to themselves to remain unsolved is the only solution that can give peace a chance. Why not the world must not treat this problem the same way ?! The Sunni & Shiites problem, since after the death of the prophet & the world was not bothered. The Israeli-Arab problem can't be more serious than that ! Give peace a chance by letting the Arabs alone !
in Jerusalem do not carry stones to hurl before, during or after their payers, so no age limit is needed. The arabs should at least respect the sacredness of the site the mosque is standing on.
Just curious as to when the occupation of Australia will end and all the settlers go back to where they came from. Will Maureen Ann go back to the UK or wherever it is that her settler great-grandparents came from before they occupied Australia and imposed apartheid on the Aborigines?
first of all we have a right wing goverment not a left wing. Secondly how come that when the Charideem who riot on a weekly basis attacking our security forces and fellow jews for any reason such as protecting child abusers and heaven forbid people parking their cars they are heroes yet when a few arab youth riot after been provoked by right wing jewish extremists (convenianly labled as tourists) they are refered to as terrorists.
last during 1900 years. Jerusakem has been liberated from Muslim occupation in 1967 for ever.
Try to understand it, if you want fight prepare your self for a long period of captivity.Every time there are holidays this fanatic are doing their best to disrupt the party. Enough we need to start a huge diplomatic action against them now.
Is it not ABOUT TIME that Sheikh Ra'ad Salah was told that NO ACCESS will be granted to any Moslem worshippers until all of them behave in a respectable and respectful fashion! Also, this is firstly a Jewish Holy Site and as such, Jews have the first right of visit. He should get used to the idea of coexistence rather than confrontation!!
Sheikh Ra'ad Salah can do no good. He only carries hate and encourages violence. Haaretz needs to take a clear stand against this man. It's the right and moral thing to do.
as if you can play a game of chicken, and intimidate us into forgetting jerusalem. The Psalm, written by King David, our King, an israelite King who wrote his verse in Hebrew. "O Jerusalem if I forget thee, let me forget my right hand..." We will never give up our spiritual and national capital, no matter the terror, time and pressure we shall never bend!!
with the knife still embedded in his neck. Can you please explain what your standards are regarding "lightly", "moderately" and "severely" injured are? Or is this reporter asleep?
Intifada III bring it on. Now we have a fence so high that birds can not fly over. Build for this purpose.
their new intafada. Always remember that enabling is very dangerous.
Occupied 1948 by Jordan liberated 1967 by Israel remeber?.
No Jewish extremist element would even want to step into their mosque. One day the Third Temple will spring forth anew, where the First and Second Temples were, where Abraham was willing to sacrificce Isaac until the Angel appeared and showed him the ram in the thicket, and stayed his hand. There on Mount Moriah where the foundation rock lies, the Even Shetiyah, which now has the golden-domed mosque over it. Jerusalem, City of G-d, the Eternal Capital of King David, what can one say? How many Jews have already been sacrificed in their suicidal campaign? If Jews come, it is to find a corner to pray to Hashem, and this is deemed incendiary.
Salah and his ilk are a Trojan horse in the midst of Israel as they are declaring war against Israel. These type should be banned from the country.
connection, and he won't be able to. Where does Jerusalem fit into Islam and Muslim history? It is not the place to which they pray, is not once mentioned by name in prayers, and it is connected to no mundane events in Muhammad's life. The city never served as capital of a sovereign Muslim state, and it never became a cultural or scholarly center. Little of political import by Muslims was initiated there. Jane
The quotations should be around "Israel's occupation," since it is actually the Arabs who are the occupiers there. Perhaps they were trying not to offend a group that blows people up every time their peas touch their carrots.
Arabs and/or Muslims have no historical rights on Jerusalem. In the days of Muhammad, who died in 632 c.e., Jerusalem was a Christian-occupied city within the Byzantine Empire. Jerusalem was captured by caliph Omar only in 638 c.e. About 80 years after Muhammad died, Malik's son, Abd el-Wahd ‒who ruled in 705-715‒ reconstructed the Christian-Byzantine Church of St. Mary and converted it into a mosque, he named it El-Aqsa, so it would sound like the one mentioned in the Koran as described at : http://xrl.us/bjheo
If Islam is 1500 and Jerusalem is more than 2000 years,how can they claim that Israel is occupying. Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish people,but is open to all religions.
Both the Moslem and Jewish clerics have meddled too much in politics, and strayed from the spiritual path, making the problems far worse and inciting religious hatred. From religion driven settlements, to unrest on the temple mount, the guilty parties are the clerics. There should be total seperation of state and religion, and both sides have erred with devastating results.
on the Jewish worshipers?
East Jerusalem, including the old city, is occupied. No need for scare quotes.
You know, where they piously insisted the Law must be enforced and called for live fire against pure Jews? Or, on the other hand, will they show "understanding" and support the Islamist extremists to discriminate against Jews?
Islamic Leader after that will say Nazareth clashes won`t end until occupation of Nazareth does Haifa clashes won`t end until occupation of Haifa does Akko clashes won`t end until occupation of Akko does Jaffa clashes won`t end until occupation of Jaffa does
First the Northern branch of the Islamic Movement should be outlawed. Then we should vote for the death penalty for treason, for Jews and Arabs. Salah should be up and Vanunu for treason and when the law is changed sentenced to death and executed like Eichman.
Withdrawal is not an option. The area belongs to JEWS not muslims. It will belong to JEWS after islam is a pathetic memory. Grow up!
about children Hamas MP saying it himself was not enough for Goldstones preconceived report. When are these "men of honor" going to fight like men?Instead of talking all that garbage about their honor?
about children Hamas MP saying it himself was not enough for Goldstones preconceived report. When are these "men of honor" going to fight like men?Instead of talking all that garbage about their honor?
Oh, Really? So the enfants terribles learned that there's always going to be a Goldstone Commission that will articulate the antisemitically correct edict to continue their Chutzpah and violence? I don't think there's going to be a Third Intifadah, but rather a radical change of the benevolent rules of the game. This is a Likud government after all, and Arab Chutzpah (including King Abdallah's) is a bit overdone these days. Don't mess with Jerusalem, Mr. Ra'ad Salah, or you'll get a bloody nose.
How is it at this particular moment in time that agents of the Iranian mullacracy chose to replicate and stir up the same pawns as they did in Sept. of 2000? Will all of Daytons 'expertise' and training of Arab security be used to launch more terrorism like in 2000, so that it can distract world attention long enough for Iran to construct 10 nuclear bombs and hide them in different spots of the world that they pay with oil to be host nations for their plans to "eradicate the Zionist entity?"
Israel won in the struggle over Obama's peace initiative. Netanyahu has won, and Obama is crushed. What also was crushed was the hope amongst Palestinians that there might be hope. Israel has won the battle over whether there will be peace. There will not be. And that means that there will not be peace. Welcome to the horror show of Infatada III.