Occupied Jerusalem, October 07: The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday, October 6, accused Israeli occupation forces of fanning tensions in Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) to trigger violence, justify a crackdown and tighten its grip on the holy city.
“Israel is lighting matches in the hope of sparking a fire, deliberately escalating tensions in Al-Quds rather than taking steps to placate the situation,” chief peace negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement cited.
“Israel is escalating tensions in order to further entrench its occupation of Al-Quds.”
Israel deployed thousands of its troops throughout the occupied holy city on Tuesday to protect thousands of Israelis marching though the streets for the Jewish festival of Sukkot.
The occupation authorities continued on Tuesday to limit Muslim access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, to Muslim men aged 50 and over.
Israeli security forces control access to the area and regularly prohibit young Muslim men from entering.
Tensions have run high in Al-Quds over the past several days after clashes near Al-Aqsa mosque compound over attempts by Jewish extremists to storm the site.
Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom told the Israeli public radio that “the battle is underway for sovereignty over Jerusalem and particularly over the Temple Mount.”
Israeli politicians and religious leaders, including Knesset members, are making no secret of their schemes regarding Al-Aqsa, the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine.
They want to demolish Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock to build their so-called Solomon Temple.
The Temple Mount Institute, an extremist Jewish society, had prepared a large prototype of the temple, special clothes for its rabbis, special places for sacrificial offerings, incense chalice, copper vessels for meal offerings, silver vessel for wine libation and other offering implements.
Arrests
Israeli occupation authorities detained Sheikh Salah, the leader of the Islamic movement. Israeli occupation authorities detained on Tuesday Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic movement.
“He was arrested over his inflammatory statements in recent days and on suspicion of incitement,” Israeli police spokesman Shmulik Ben-Rubi told.
Salah has been prohibited from entering Al-Aqsa compound for almost a year now, and has been staying at a nearby residence while following developments.
He asserted that the Israeli government must understand that using force does not grant it rights to Al-Aqsa Mosque or anywhere else in Al-Quds.
“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 Al-Quds.”
The Islamic Movement vowed earlier to continue its defence of the Muslim holy shrine despite arrests and calls from several Israeli ministers to outlaw the organization.
Israel captured and occupied Al-Quds in the six-day 1967 war, then annexed it in a move not recognized by the world community or UN resolutions.
The holy city represents the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict with Palestinians insisting on it as the capital of their future independent state.
-Agencies