Palestinians have protested to the United Nations after Israeli police stormed Masjid Al Aqsa to disperse a protest, hours before parliament debated a nationalist MP’s motion to extend control over it.
According to police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld said about 20 Palestinian youths hurled stones and firecrackers at troops from the top of the Temple Mount. Police then entered the compound and arrested three people. Two officers were slightly wounded.
The Palestinian Observer Mission at the UN protested to the Security Council, accusing Israel of escalating “aggression, provocation and incitement” at the holy site in an illegal attempt to forcibly assert control over it.
In a letter to the council Palestinian charge d’affaires Feda Abdelhady-Nasser said Israeli forces violently stormed the compound yesterday, “attacking and injuring Palestinian worshippers with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters and arresting several worshippers”.
Masjid al-Aqsa is ground zero in the territorial and religious conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Clashes often erupt after Muslims conclude their jummah prayers.
Jews usually pray below at the Western Wall but tensions have grown lately with an increased number of Jews arriving to pray at the Temple Mount as well.
Revered as Islam’s third holiest spot, the site’s iconic gold-topped Dome of the Rock enshrines the rock where Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad (saw) ascended to heaven. Jews believe the rock may be where the holiest part of the two ancient temples stood about 2,000 years ago – and where religious Jews pray a third temple will one day be built.
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Moshe Feiglin
The site is so holy that Jews have traditionally refrained from praying on the hilltop, but attitudes among some Orthodox Jews have been evolving and there has been growing demand to allow Jews to pray there freely as well.
Nationalist MP Moshe Feiglin of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, who has been leading the charge, initiated the parliamentary discussion. No vote was taken and no decision made.
Azzam Khatib, director general of the Waqf, Jordan’s Islamic authority that currently manages religious affairs at site, said the clash followed rumours that Jewish extremists were planning to enter the compound and raise the Israeli flag. He said the entire compound was Muslim and they would not allow anyone to change that situation.
“I hope they have some rational people in the government to stop them from provoking us,” he said.
Ms Abdelhady-Nasser accused Mr Feiglin of “reckless actions” and called on the Security Council to give urgent attention to the “Israeli acts of incitement, provocation and aggression (which) are intended to deliberately provoke Palestinian, Arab and Muslim sensitivities and could have extremely dangerous and widespread consequences”.
She sent similar letters to the UN General Assembly and to secretary general Ban Ki-moon.
Mr Netanyahu’s office strongly rejects Mr Feiglin’s initiative believing any change to the status quo could spark violence and unsettle the talks.
Mickey Levy, Israel’s deputy finance minister and a former commander of the Jerusalem District Police, called the site “a keg of dynamite” and urged restraint.
Zehava Galon, head of the dovish Meretz Party, said Tuesday’s riot was a direct result of Mr Feiglin’s “religious provocation”. She said her party recognised the right to free worship at holy sites, but not every right had to be realised and at this time doing so would merely inflame the region.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’ office also issued a statement condemning what it called “continuous Israeli incursions” into the site.
“Such assaults are not only a danger to holy places but also creates an atmosphere that will increase violence and hatred and convert the conflict into a dangerous religious conflict,” it said.
