VIOLENCE BREAKS OUT IN EAST JERUSALEM FOLLOWING THE DEDICATION OF HURVA SYNAGOGUE

Clashes have broken out in East Jerusalem neighborhoods after Hamas members called for a "day of rage" in protest of the reopening of Hurva Synagogue in the Old City, reports Al-Jazeera English. 

2,500 police forces were deployed for the dedication ceremony Monday.  As violence broke out today, Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli police who threw stun grenades.  Haaretz reports police also fired rubber bullets and tear gas.  At least 15 Palestinians have been arrested since unrest began in the Shu-afat and Essawiyaa neighborhoods.  Further arrests have been made in Abu Dis and Wadi Joz neighborhoods. 

Unrest has been mostly isolated incidents.  Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AJE: "Throughout the morning we have been dealing with local disturbances. A group of 50 to 60 Palestinians who are causing riots... The rest of Jerusalem itself is absolutely quiet. The Temple Mount is closed to visitors and tourists... Our units are responding to small incidents in and around East Jerusalem."

The police presence in East Jerusalem is contributing to tension.  Restrictions barring men under 50 from entrance to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound have remained in place.  Said East Jerusalem mayor Adnan Al-Hesseini:

"Also many police are on the entrance of the Old City and mosque and inside the street of the Old City. So the movement is very difficult and very tense... People are trying to come to the mosque, the shops, their houses. And unfortunately the Israeli police are stopping them."

AJE's Sherine Tadros comments on the tense climate and its potential to explode:

"Palestinian protesters have been hurling stones at the border guards and they have responded using stun grenades. It is an extremely tense standoff... Police want to patrol the situation using as little force as possible, they told us, but they are wearing full riot gear... From our vantage point we can only see about 20 Palestinian protesters, hurling stones, which they have been doing throughout the night and into the morning... It seems a few amount of protesters against a large amount of border guards."

Says Haaretz, Arab MKs warned Tuesday that the synagogue opening on top of other Israeli policies could lead to a Third Intifada:

"The policies of the Netanyahu government are nothing less than ethnic cleansing and are a the strongest possible incitement to a third intifada," said Hanin Zuabi, an Arab Knesset member.

"It seems the submissiveness of the official Palestinian and Arab response has given Israel the false impression that Palestinians will not fight for their liberty and their rights."

Another MK, Jamal Zahalka, said: "Anyone who builds settlements in Jerusalem is digging a grave for peace," while Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat likened Israel's handling of the situation to "pouring oil on fire".

Hurva Synagogue (also spelled Churva) reopened Monday after a lengthy reconstruction campaign.  The synagogue was originally built in 1694, partially destroyed in 1721, and completely demolished during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.  The synagogue site is located 700 meters from Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City's Jewish Quarter.  Incendiary literature distributed prior to the "day of rage" insists rebuilding Hurva Synagogue is the first step to restoring the Temple, the effective Judaization of Jerusalem, which is a multi-religious holy city for Jews, Muslims and Christians.  Fatah senior leader Mohammad Dahlan has also been quoted saying the synagogue is built on top of the Mosque of Omar, a Muslim holy site. 

Protest of the synagogue has also reaches Gaza, Haaretz reports.

Ahmed Bahar, a senior figure in Hamas, called for an escalation of armed attacks against Israel and urged Arab states "to shoulder their responsibilities and send their warplanes and armies to rescue the al-Aqsa Mosque and end the Jewish policy of Judaizing Jerusalem."

Click here to read the AJE article.

Click here to read the Haaretz article.

Click here to read about the climate preceding the clashes.

Photos:  Rusty Stewart - Flickr

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