Israeli news site Arutz Sheva has accused senior Fatah member Mohammad Dahlan of attempting to "stir up Arab riots in Jerusalem" ahead of today's dedication of Churva Synagogue. Says Arutz Sheva, Voice of Palestine reports Dahlan has warned the Fatah Central Committee that Churva Synagogue is built on the ruins of the Mosque of Omar.
The Western Wall near the Temple Mount, Old City, Jerusalem
Churva Synagogue sits in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter in the Old City,
"three hundred meters west of the Western Wall." Dahlan's warning went
on to say, "Israeli actions in Jerusalem are aimed at control of the
Al-Aqsa Mosque."
A massive police presence has been deployed to the synagogue site for the dedication out of concern for riots, Haaretz reports. Pamphlets have been distributed across East Jerusalem detailing how Churva Synagogue is the first step to rebuilding the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount, seen as an effective Judaization of Jerusalem, which is home to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim holy sites. While the synagogue is dedicated today, a celebration was held for bringing the first Torah into the synagogue Sunday night. Police guarded the revelers, but there were no violent incidents. 2,500 police officers will be spread across the Old City, East Jerusalem, and nearby villages today.
The Jerusalem police department also withdrew the
permission it gave to a group from the El Har Hamor yeshiva to take its
monthly march around the Old City gates, for fear it would escalate
tensions even further. MK Uri Ariel (National Union) criticized the
police for the decision, saying their job was "to protect Israeli
citizens, not to surrender to Arab rioters".
Police Commissioner David Cohen tried to calm nerves yesterday by appealing to all parties.
"The extremist, inciting statements being heard don't correlate to
the facts on the ground," Cohen said. "I expect all parties involved to
show responsibility, and to moderate any statements that could lead to
an unnecessary escalation of violence in the city."
Since Friday March 12, Israeli authorities have barred admittance to Al-Aqsa Mosque to men under 50, citing security concerns. A separate Haaretz report says that Dahlan and Fatah Jerusalem head Khatem Abdel Kader called on Israeli Arabs Sunday to "protect [the Temple Mount] from the Jews."
Click here to read the Arutz Sheva article.
Click here to read the Haaretz article on today's dedication.
Click here to read the Haaretz article on Dahlan adn Abdel Kader.
Photo: Hoyasmeg - Flickr
Posted
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15 Mar 2010 6:05 AM
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