24 jan 2014
By Daoud Kuttab
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University.
How similar is today to yesteryear?
When U.S. president Bill Clinton failed to move Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat on the issue of Jerusalem at the 2000 Camp David talks, he decided to turn to America's Arab allies.
He tried and failed.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, unable to change Mahmoud Abbas' position, is trying to do the same. He will also fail.
The contentious issues appear to concern Jerusalem and convincing Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Kerry began his recent Arab trip with quick visits to Amman and Riyadh, on Jan. 5, before the meeting in Paris, on Jan. 12, with the Arab Peace Initiative follow-up committee.
Shortly after Kerry's visit, on Jan. 8, Amman was host to a quick visit by the Palestinian president.
He made a statement to the effect that Palestinians will not accept any deal short of having East Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine. Abbas also reiterated the Palestinian refusal of any recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
This consistent position was interpreted by Israelis as a rejection of the Kerry initiative.
Israeli officials claimed that Abbas' statements show that Palestinians are not ready to make the tough decisions needed for peace.
Perhaps the clearest sign of Abbas' thinking regarding Kerry's ability to change Arab opinion were his subsequent statements in Ramallah.
Speaking to a group of representatives from East Jerusalem, Abbas said, referring to the US diplomat: "He will hear from the Arab ministers that without Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, there will be no agreement."
Normally the Arab League is the last address the Palestinian leader consults before making difficult decisions.
The follow-up committee consists of foreign ministers from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the secretary of the Arab League. It usually endorses the position of the Ramallah-based leadership, providing Abbas with the necessary Arab umbrella for difficult decisions.
Abbas' most recent meeting with the committee was last July, prior to agreeing to resume the current nine-month peace talks with Israel.
Pushed into a corner during the Camp David talks in the fall of 2000, Arafat had asked for a chance to speak to Arab leaders. The Palestinian leader posed a simple question to each, one by one: whether they agree to surrender sovereignty over East Jerusalem and, specifically, Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Arafat knew their answers before he asked the question.
Leaks coming out of the ongoing marathon talks between Kerry and Abbas focus on two obstacles: Israel's insistence that Palestinians recognize Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people and the fact that the current round of talks aimed at reaching a framework does not include any mention of Jerusalem.
The Palestinians' rejection of both these conditions, as evident in Abbas' statement, has left some to conclude that Kerry's mission is futile.
While the April 2014 deadline for the talks to conclude is fast approaching, Kerry will certainly continue pushing for a framework agreement that would allow for an extension of the negotiations.
The Palestinians, however, are determined to go to the International Court of Justice and other international agencies to address the decades old illegal Israeli occupation.
When it comes to the sensitive issue of Jerusalem and recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, Arab leaders have proved, over and over, that they will not budge under American pressure, and Abbas knows this well.
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University.
How similar is today to yesteryear?
When U.S. president Bill Clinton failed to move Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat on the issue of Jerusalem at the 2000 Camp David talks, he decided to turn to America's Arab allies.
He tried and failed.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, unable to change Mahmoud Abbas' position, is trying to do the same. He will also fail.
The contentious issues appear to concern Jerusalem and convincing Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Kerry began his recent Arab trip with quick visits to Amman and Riyadh, on Jan. 5, before the meeting in Paris, on Jan. 12, with the Arab Peace Initiative follow-up committee.
Shortly after Kerry's visit, on Jan. 8, Amman was host to a quick visit by the Palestinian president.
He made a statement to the effect that Palestinians will not accept any deal short of having East Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine. Abbas also reiterated the Palestinian refusal of any recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
This consistent position was interpreted by Israelis as a rejection of the Kerry initiative.
Israeli officials claimed that Abbas' statements show that Palestinians are not ready to make the tough decisions needed for peace.
Perhaps the clearest sign of Abbas' thinking regarding Kerry's ability to change Arab opinion were his subsequent statements in Ramallah.
Speaking to a group of representatives from East Jerusalem, Abbas said, referring to the US diplomat: "He will hear from the Arab ministers that without Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, there will be no agreement."
Normally the Arab League is the last address the Palestinian leader consults before making difficult decisions.
The follow-up committee consists of foreign ministers from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the secretary of the Arab League. It usually endorses the position of the Ramallah-based leadership, providing Abbas with the necessary Arab umbrella for difficult decisions.
Abbas' most recent meeting with the committee was last July, prior to agreeing to resume the current nine-month peace talks with Israel.
Pushed into a corner during the Camp David talks in the fall of 2000, Arafat had asked for a chance to speak to Arab leaders. The Palestinian leader posed a simple question to each, one by one: whether they agree to surrender sovereignty over East Jerusalem and, specifically, Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Arafat knew their answers before he asked the question.
Leaks coming out of the ongoing marathon talks between Kerry and Abbas focus on two obstacles: Israel's insistence that Palestinians recognize Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people and the fact that the current round of talks aimed at reaching a framework does not include any mention of Jerusalem.
The Palestinians' rejection of both these conditions, as evident in Abbas' statement, has left some to conclude that Kerry's mission is futile.
While the April 2014 deadline for the talks to conclude is fast approaching, Kerry will certainly continue pushing for a framework agreement that would allow for an extension of the negotiations.
The Palestinians, however, are determined to go to the International Court of Justice and other international agencies to address the decades old illegal Israeli occupation.
When it comes to the sensitive issue of Jerusalem and recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, Arab leaders have proved, over and over, that they will not budge under American pressure, and Abbas knows this well.
23 jan 2014
Israeli police Thursday ordered Khalid al-Zir, a resident of Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, to remove a tent he and other Jerusalem residents had set up the night before in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah to protest Israeli demolition of homes in the city. Zir said that the tent was put up to draw attention to the plight of Jerusalem residents whose homes were demolished by the West Jerusalem Israeli municipality for building without permit after efforts to get a permit have failed.
The municipality demolished Zir’s small Silwan home in August and when he attempted to set up a room with a metal roof on his land to house his seven-member family, it was also demolished.
Zir then moved with his family to live in a cave but even then the Israeli antiquities authority ordered him not to change anything in the cave after he attempted to add to it to shelter his family from cold and rain.
Israeli police raided the tent Thursday morning and ordered the people holding a vigil inside to remove it within 30 minutes or else they will be fined.
Zir said he was going to continue with his sit-in in front of the Red Cross until something is done to help him and others restore their homes in East Jerusalem and put a stop to the demolition of homes, a policy Palestinians say aims at forcing them to leave the city while Israel builds thousands of new homes for Jews in it on expropriated Palestinian land.
Palestinian told to Clear out of Four Homes in Five Months
On Thursday, a resident of East Jerusalem were ordered to remove a tent in which was set up to protest the Israeli demolitions of homes in the city.
The man, a local father of seven had seen his house be demolished by Israelis after which the make-do he constructed, were also demolished.
After moving his family to a cave, he was told not to alter anything within the natural construction, when trying to add a shelter to protect his short-term home from wind and rain.
As the last part of the saga the man has now been told to take down the tent in front of the Red Cross in Jerusalem, WAFA reports.
The municipality demolished Zir’s small Silwan home in August and when he attempted to set up a room with a metal roof on his land to house his seven-member family, it was also demolished.
Zir then moved with his family to live in a cave but even then the Israeli antiquities authority ordered him not to change anything in the cave after he attempted to add to it to shelter his family from cold and rain.
Israeli police raided the tent Thursday morning and ordered the people holding a vigil inside to remove it within 30 minutes or else they will be fined.
Zir said he was going to continue with his sit-in in front of the Red Cross until something is done to help him and others restore their homes in East Jerusalem and put a stop to the demolition of homes, a policy Palestinians say aims at forcing them to leave the city while Israel builds thousands of new homes for Jews in it on expropriated Palestinian land.
Palestinian told to Clear out of Four Homes in Five Months
On Thursday, a resident of East Jerusalem were ordered to remove a tent in which was set up to protest the Israeli demolitions of homes in the city.
The man, a local father of seven had seen his house be demolished by Israelis after which the make-do he constructed, were also demolished.
After moving his family to a cave, he was told not to alter anything within the natural construction, when trying to add a shelter to protect his short-term home from wind and rain.
As the last part of the saga the man has now been told to take down the tent in front of the Red Cross in Jerusalem, WAFA reports.
The Al-Aqsa foundation for Religious Endowments and Heritage, an NGO devoted to protecting the mosque from Israeli forces, has warned of the dangers posed by the Israeli excavations only meters from the complex.
According to the NGO “the Israeli occupation aims to destroy Islamic sites in the area near the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem's Old City."
The new excavation is being funded by a right-wing Jewish pro-settlement organization and aims to make room for a new Jewish religious center.
Palestinian rights organizations are being disallowed to inspect Israeli excavations on a regular basis.
According to the NGO “the Israeli occupation aims to destroy Islamic sites in the area near the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem's Old City."
The new excavation is being funded by a right-wing Jewish pro-settlement organization and aims to make room for a new Jewish religious center.
Palestinian rights organizations are being disallowed to inspect Israeli excavations on a regular basis.
The Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education on Wednesday strongly condemned an Israeli raid on Al-Quds University campus in Abu Dis in which dozens of students suffered tear gas inhalation and university property was damaged.
The PA ministry denounced the attack as "desecrating the sanctity of the institution, obstructing the educational process," and "intentionally horrifying thousands of students and staff members by utilizing all terrorist means including random heavy firing."
The raid on Wednesday was part of a "continuous and systematic context of violations against the Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, including the educational institutions and their cadres," a statement added.
These violations aim to challenge the Palestinian presence in occupied East Jerusalem and push Palestinian society towards ignorance and poverty, the ministry said.
The raid on the university campus is "military aggression" which is in contravention of international norms which stress for educational institutions to remain neutral.
Israeli forces raided the Abu Dis campus on Wednesday and fired tear gas and rubber bullets at students, preventing them from leaving the area.
A popular committee spokesman told Ma'an that over 100 Palestinians, including university students, faculty, and staff, suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation, while witnesses said the escalation was the most severe in years.
The Abu Dis campus of Al-Quds University was the site of frequent raids in 2013, often leading to closures and delays in lectures.
Dozens of students have been injured in the raids and university property has been damaged.
The PA ministry denounced the attack as "desecrating the sanctity of the institution, obstructing the educational process," and "intentionally horrifying thousands of students and staff members by utilizing all terrorist means including random heavy firing."
The raid on Wednesday was part of a "continuous and systematic context of violations against the Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, including the educational institutions and their cadres," a statement added.
These violations aim to challenge the Palestinian presence in occupied East Jerusalem and push Palestinian society towards ignorance and poverty, the ministry said.
The raid on the university campus is "military aggression" which is in contravention of international norms which stress for educational institutions to remain neutral.
Israeli forces raided the Abu Dis campus on Wednesday and fired tear gas and rubber bullets at students, preventing them from leaving the area.
A popular committee spokesman told Ma'an that over 100 Palestinians, including university students, faculty, and staff, suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation, while witnesses said the escalation was the most severe in years.
The Abu Dis campus of Al-Quds University was the site of frequent raids in 2013, often leading to closures and delays in lectures.
Dozens of students have been injured in the raids and university property has been damaged.
Zionist Minister of Housing and Construction Uri Ariel, a senior member of Israel's colonial government, has called for the rebuilding of the what he called (Third Temple) to replace al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. “The first Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, the second Temple in 70 CE, and ever since the Jews have been mourning its loss,” he claimed. “Now that Israel has once again become a Jewish sovereign state, there have been occasional calls to rebuild the Temple,” he added.
It is known that al-Aqsa Mosque (E: the Farthest Mosque) is considered the third-holiest site in Islam and the oldest name for the compound of Islamic religious buildings in Jerusalem that includes al-Aqsa congregation mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The term Al-Aqsa Mosque was coined in the Quran: Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred because the first of the two Qiblas. In Islamic tradition, Al-Aqsa is said to be the second Masjid. The mosque is also the third of the two holy Sanctuaries.
It is known that al-Aqsa Mosque (E: the Farthest Mosque) is considered the third-holiest site in Islam and the oldest name for the compound of Islamic religious buildings in Jerusalem that includes al-Aqsa congregation mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The term Al-Aqsa Mosque was coined in the Quran: Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred because the first of the two Qiblas. In Islamic tradition, Al-Aqsa is said to be the second Masjid. The mosque is also the third of the two holy Sanctuaries.
22 jan 2014
Dozens of Israeli settlers escorted by army soldiers defiled the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday morning. The Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage said in a statement that 157 settlers including male and female conscripts and policemen in plain clothes broke into the Aqsa Mosque.
It said that the notorious rabbi Yehudah Glick, who champions demolishing the Aqsa Mosque to build the third temple in its place, was among the settlers who roamed the Aqsa courtyards and the Dome of the Rock.
It said that the notorious rabbi Yehudah Glick, who champions demolishing the Aqsa Mosque to build the third temple in its place, was among the settlers who roamed the Aqsa courtyards and the Dome of the Rock.
Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem declared on Tuesday its intention to establish 1,700 new housing units in a neighborhood south of the city. According to Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper, the Israeli Planning and Building Committee affiliated with the occupation municipality will discuss the plans for the new neighborhood, which will be named Moradot Arnona, on Wednesday.
The plan came three years after Israeli former Interior Minister Eli Yishai and Mayor Nir Barkat's approval to expand Jerusalem's planning structure with 290 more dunums, the newspaper added.
The Hebrew newspaper stated that the Israeli Land Authority has participated in financing the project.
Barkat claimed that the project aims at "providing a response to the many young couples who wish to live in Jerusalem."
The plan came three years after Israeli former Interior Minister Eli Yishai and Mayor Nir Barkat's approval to expand Jerusalem's planning structure with 290 more dunums, the newspaper added.
The Hebrew newspaper stated that the Israeli Land Authority has participated in financing the project.
Barkat claimed that the project aims at "providing a response to the many young couples who wish to live in Jerusalem."
The Aqsa Foundation for Endowments and Heritage revealed in a report on Wednesday that the occupation has begun new excavations in Wadi Hilweh in Silwan, only few tens of meters south of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Foundation said that the occupation is destroying ancient Islamic monuments in the area, and that earlier it had destroyed an Islamic cemetery adjacent to the site.
It added that the Israeli Antiquities Authority has started excavations funded by Elad Association, at the entrance to Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, in a confiscated Palestinian land that had been used for many years as parking.
It said in its statement that these excavations came within the preparations for the construction of a biblical center, with the support of Netanyahu government.
The Aqsa Foundation warned of the seriousness of these excavations, through which the occupation seeks to destroy and obliterate the Islamic landmarks in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem, and to isolate Al-Aqsa from its Palestinian surroundings.
It has called on all the concerned Islamic and Arab bodies to confront the Israeli Judaization plans that are targeting Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
It added that the Israeli Antiquities Authority has started excavations funded by Elad Association, at the entrance to Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, in a confiscated Palestinian land that had been used for many years as parking.
It said in its statement that these excavations came within the preparations for the construction of a biblical center, with the support of Netanyahu government.
The Aqsa Foundation warned of the seriousness of these excavations, through which the occupation seeks to destroy and obliterate the Islamic landmarks in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem, and to isolate Al-Aqsa from its Palestinian surroundings.
It has called on all the concerned Islamic and Arab bodies to confront the Israeli Judaization plans that are targeting Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
21 jan 2014
157 Jewish settlers, soldiers and intelligence officers on Tuesday morning desecrated the Aqsa Mosque under tight police protection. The Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage said that 46 settlers led by extremist rabbi Yehuda Glick defiled the Aqsa Mosque in the morning and walked around in the courtyard.
At the same time, other groups of 90 male and female soldiers as well as 21 intelligence officers received separate guided tours around the Aqsa Mosque compound in the morning.
The Aqsa foundation affirmed that special police squads protected this mass desecration of the Aqsa Mosque today morning and prevented Palestinian worshipers from trying to defend their Mosque.
At the same time, other groups of 90 male and female soldiers as well as 21 intelligence officers received separate guided tours around the Aqsa Mosque compound in the morning.
The Aqsa foundation affirmed that special police squads protected this mass desecration of the Aqsa Mosque today morning and prevented Palestinian worshipers from trying to defend their Mosque.
20 jan 2014
A group of 20 Israeli intelligence officers broke into the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Monday morning via the Maghareba gate. The Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage pointed to a serious precedence saying that another group of 27 intelligence officers broke into the Aqsa Mosque via Bab Al-Silsela, which was not used for that purpose before.
It said that both groups toured a number of mosques inside the compound, adding that the entry of intelligence and military officials into the Mosque was aimed at imposing Israel’s sovereignty and Jewish presence in the Mosque.
Meanwhile, media sites affiliated with the so-called temple organizations said that the former Canadian minister of internal security had entered the Aqsa Mosque on Sunday in the company of a number of Jewish settlers including extremist Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who briefed the former minister on the alleged Jewish temple.
The Aqsa guards and worshipers were extremely angered at the entry of the former minister in the company of Glick and demanded their immediate departure and exchanged heated debates with the Israeli policemen providing protection for the group.
It said that both groups toured a number of mosques inside the compound, adding that the entry of intelligence and military officials into the Mosque was aimed at imposing Israel’s sovereignty and Jewish presence in the Mosque.
Meanwhile, media sites affiliated with the so-called temple organizations said that the former Canadian minister of internal security had entered the Aqsa Mosque on Sunday in the company of a number of Jewish settlers including extremist Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who briefed the former minister on the alleged Jewish temple.
The Aqsa guards and worshipers were extremely angered at the entry of the former minister in the company of Glick and demanded their immediate departure and exchanged heated debates with the Israeli policemen providing protection for the group.
Groups of settlers, protected by Israeli occupation forces, stormed a religious shrine in the town of Bani Naim, south al-Khalil city, and smashed its doors and windows.
The mayor of Bani Naim Ali Tarayra stated that the settlers stormed the area in a bus, under the protection of Israeli soldiers, and performed Talmudic rituals inside the Yaqin shrine in the town.
The settlers broke the shrine's main door and its new windows that have been recently placed by the municipality.
The mayor of Bani Naim Ali Tarayra stated that the settlers stormed the area in a bus, under the protection of Israeli soldiers, and performed Talmudic rituals inside the Yaqin shrine in the town.
The settlers broke the shrine's main door and its new windows that have been recently placed by the municipality.
19 jan 2014
Israeli municipality workers on Sunday distributed orders for the demolition of eight buildings in East Jerusalem, witnesses and residents told Ma'an.
Witnesses said municipality workers accompanied by Israeli police issued demolition notices for buildings in the Silwan area of East Jerusalem.
The workers issued notices in the neighborhoods of Wadi al-Hilweh, Ein al-Lawza, Bier Ayub, and Wad Yasoul, witnesses said.
Resident Said Nasser said he was handed demolition orders for three car repair shops he owns in the Ein al-Lawza neighborhood.
He said he was notified that he would be fined 150,000 shekels ($43,000) for the shops' "illegal" construction.
The shops were built 20 years ago, he said.
Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It has demolished at least 27,000 Palestinian homes and structures since occupying the West Bank in 1967, according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
Witnesses said municipality workers accompanied by Israeli police issued demolition notices for buildings in the Silwan area of East Jerusalem.
The workers issued notices in the neighborhoods of Wadi al-Hilweh, Ein al-Lawza, Bier Ayub, and Wad Yasoul, witnesses said.
Resident Said Nasser said he was handed demolition orders for three car repair shops he owns in the Ein al-Lawza neighborhood.
He said he was notified that he would be fined 150,000 shekels ($43,000) for the shops' "illegal" construction.
The shops were built 20 years ago, he said.
Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It has demolished at least 27,000 Palestinian homes and structures since occupying the West Bank in 1967, according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
Israel's channel 10 has aired a report talking about preparations being made by Jewish groups to demolish the Aqsa Mosque and build the alleged temple on its ruins. In a recent report, the channel said that Israeli temple activist Uni Tasduq had went to the dead sea area to collect the oldest rocks in the history to use them for the building of the temple.
The channel added that Yehuda Etzion, founder of the temple group Hai Vekayam, is the mastermind behind the idea of destroying the Aqsa Mosque and building the temple in its place, noting that he had tried to demolish the Mosque in the 1980s and had been jailed for that.
"We are planning and have to demolish things to build the third temple, and the Aqsa Mosque must be removed in order to achieve that. The existence of the Dome of the Rock is something reprehensible, so it must be knocked down. Let the Muslims go to Makkah and the Christians to Rome, but leave Jerusalem for the Jews," channel 10 quoted Etzion as saying.
Architect Yoram Ginzburg, who drew blueprints for the alleged Jewish metropolitan Jerusalem and the temple, told the channel that he awaits impatiently the building of the temple, which he said would be a paradise on earth and millions of people would come to visit it.
The channel's report also unveiled other preparations being made by Jewish settlers for the temple and showed, for instance, that Gush Etzion settlers in the West Bank are raising cattle in order to sacrifice them at the temple.
One of the Jewish farmers told the channel that his livestock breathe in anticipation of the temple altar, where they would be slaughtered.
The channel also quoted a former Israeli officer as saying that the Palestinians are very little and Israel wants to do whatever it likes with the Aqsa Mosque without provoking them.
He said that all Israel's previous moves against the Aqsa Mosque sparked Palestinian uprisings, but he emphasized that Israel would build the temple whatever happens.
"We know that the whole earth will be on fire and this will lead to the outbreak of a world war if something happens to the Aqsa Mosque, but at the end, the Jews will pray at the Mosque despite all opposition and they will enter it. We have to say the truth to the Arabs that the Aqsa Mosque is the temple, it is ours and we will pray inside it," he said.
The channel added that Yehuda Etzion, founder of the temple group Hai Vekayam, is the mastermind behind the idea of destroying the Aqsa Mosque and building the temple in its place, noting that he had tried to demolish the Mosque in the 1980s and had been jailed for that.
"We are planning and have to demolish things to build the third temple, and the Aqsa Mosque must be removed in order to achieve that. The existence of the Dome of the Rock is something reprehensible, so it must be knocked down. Let the Muslims go to Makkah and the Christians to Rome, but leave Jerusalem for the Jews," channel 10 quoted Etzion as saying.
Architect Yoram Ginzburg, who drew blueprints for the alleged Jewish metropolitan Jerusalem and the temple, told the channel that he awaits impatiently the building of the temple, which he said would be a paradise on earth and millions of people would come to visit it.
The channel's report also unveiled other preparations being made by Jewish settlers for the temple and showed, for instance, that Gush Etzion settlers in the West Bank are raising cattle in order to sacrifice them at the temple.
One of the Jewish farmers told the channel that his livestock breathe in anticipation of the temple altar, where they would be slaughtered.
The channel also quoted a former Israeli officer as saying that the Palestinians are very little and Israel wants to do whatever it likes with the Aqsa Mosque without provoking them.
He said that all Israel's previous moves against the Aqsa Mosque sparked Palestinian uprisings, but he emphasized that Israel would build the temple whatever happens.
"We know that the whole earth will be on fire and this will lead to the outbreak of a world war if something happens to the Aqsa Mosque, but at the end, the Jews will pray at the Mosque despite all opposition and they will enter it. We have to say the truth to the Arabs that the Aqsa Mosque is the temple, it is ours and we will pray inside it," he said.
Muslim nations urged the international community Saturday to put pressure on Israel to stop building Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, at the end of talks in Morocco.
The Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee made the call amid heightened concerns settlements could undermine US-brokered peace talks that resumed in July after becoming bogged down three years earlier over the construction drive.
"The international community must ... put pressure on Israel to stop the illegal and provocative settlement construction," a statement said at the end of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh.
That "will create a favorable context for the pursuit of peace negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians, and for relations between Israel, its Arab neighbors and the Muslim world, the statement added.
The panel also praised the United States as a "serious" broker of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The committee was founded by the pan-Muslim Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Chairman King Mohamed VI of Morocco opened the meeting Friday by calling for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later claimed Israel was using the peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Concerns over settlement construction returned to the fore last week when Israel announced plans to build 1,800 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed Arab East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who criticized the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with the Jewish state calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
After Israel unveiled the plans, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal by April, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War to be illegal.
Meanwhile the financial arm of the Jerusalem Committee, Bayt Mal al-Qods, called on the 57 members of the OIC to provide financial contributions to fund health, education and social projects in the Holy City.
The financial commission carried out 130 projects in Jerusalem between 2008-2012 worth $30 million in the health, housing, education and other sectors.
The Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee made the call amid heightened concerns settlements could undermine US-brokered peace talks that resumed in July after becoming bogged down three years earlier over the construction drive.
"The international community must ... put pressure on Israel to stop the illegal and provocative settlement construction," a statement said at the end of the two-day meeting in Marrakesh.
That "will create a favorable context for the pursuit of peace negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians, and for relations between Israel, its Arab neighbors and the Muslim world, the statement added.
The panel also praised the United States as a "serious" broker of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The committee was founded by the pan-Muslim Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1975 to resist the confiscation of Palestinian land and assets in Jerusalem.
Chairman King Mohamed VI of Morocco opened the meeting Friday by calling for "a strong mobilization of our own means and resources ... to defend the Holy City."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later claimed Israel was using the peace talks as a "cover" to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Concerns over settlement construction returned to the fore last week when Israel announced plans to build 1,800 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed Arab East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
The announcement came only days after the latest peace mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who criticized the settlements as "illegitimate" and "unhelpful."
The controversial decision prompted Britain, Italy, France and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest, with the Jewish state calling in European ambassadors on Friday in a tit-for-tat move.
After Israel unveiled the plans, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon launched a tirade against Secretary of State John Kerry for his "obsession" with brokering a framework peace deal by April, sparking a diplomatic spat with Washington.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the European Union of a "hypocritical" attitude toward the peace process, saying it should be more concerned by Palestinian militancy than Israeli housing construction.
The international community considers all settlements built on land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War to be illegal.
Meanwhile the financial arm of the Jerusalem Committee, Bayt Mal al-Qods, called on the 57 members of the OIC to provide financial contributions to fund health, education and social projects in the Holy City.
The financial commission carried out 130 projects in Jerusalem between 2008-2012 worth $30 million in the health, housing, education and other sectors.
18 jan 2014
Jerusalem International Foundation called on the Arab Parliamentary Union (APU) and Morocco's King Mohammed VI to save the city of Jerusalem and support its people. The Beirut-based organization hailed the positions of Kuwait, supporting the Palestinian cause and the issue of Jerusalem which is subjected to systematic Judaization projects, and demanded the Arab parliamentarians who will meet in Kuwait not to give a cover for the ongoing negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the occupation state.
It also called on the conferees to criminalize the occupation authorities' attacks on Jerusalem and the holy sites, and to pressure the occupation to release the Jerusalemite MPs.
The State of Kuwait will host the twentieth conference of the Arab Parliamentary Union on the 19th and the 20th of this month, which will address the most prominent topics of interest to the Arab region, particularly the issue of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Foundation sent an open letter to the King of Morocco Mohammed VI, urging him to support the occupied city and its people.
It pointed out that the occupation is working on implementing its Judaization programs and schemes in Jerusalem and Palestine, while the Islamic Nation is preoccupied with its internal affairs.
It also called on the Arab and Islamic governments to adhere to the Palestinian rights and constants and to support the implementation of the Palestinian national reconciliation.
For its part, Hamas movement sent a letter to the conferees at the twentieth session of the Jerusalem Committee in Morocco, in which it stressed that Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa are facing a grave danger.
The movement said in its letter that "the settlement activity and Judaization have continued in an unprecedented way in the occupied city of Jerusalem, in light of the Arab and international silence."
It stressed that the occupation seeks to isolate Jerusalem from its Arab and Islamic surrounding through settlement and Judaization plans; which requires unifying the efforts to protect it, in its capacity as the eternal capital of the State of Palestine.
It also called on the conferees to criminalize the occupation authorities' attacks on Jerusalem and the holy sites, and to pressure the occupation to release the Jerusalemite MPs.
The State of Kuwait will host the twentieth conference of the Arab Parliamentary Union on the 19th and the 20th of this month, which will address the most prominent topics of interest to the Arab region, particularly the issue of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Foundation sent an open letter to the King of Morocco Mohammed VI, urging him to support the occupied city and its people.
It pointed out that the occupation is working on implementing its Judaization programs and schemes in Jerusalem and Palestine, while the Islamic Nation is preoccupied with its internal affairs.
It also called on the Arab and Islamic governments to adhere to the Palestinian rights and constants and to support the implementation of the Palestinian national reconciliation.
For its part, Hamas movement sent a letter to the conferees at the twentieth session of the Jerusalem Committee in Morocco, in which it stressed that Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa are facing a grave danger.
The movement said in its letter that "the settlement activity and Judaization have continued in an unprecedented way in the occupied city of Jerusalem, in light of the Arab and international silence."
It stressed that the occupation seeks to isolate Jerusalem from its Arab and Islamic surrounding through settlement and Judaization plans; which requires unifying the efforts to protect it, in its capacity as the eternal capital of the State of Palestine.
17 jan 2014
The Hamas movement warned of the occupation authorities' intention to seize lands surrounding the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of al-Khalil.
Hamas stressed in a statement on Thursday that the occupation's plan to steal the lands surrounding the Ibrahimi Mosque and its continued war on the holy sites and Islamic monuments in the city of al-Khalil represent a new Israeli crime against the Palestinian territory and a desperate attempt that will not succeed in obliterating the Islamic landmark of the city and isolating it from its Palestinian surroundings.
It strongly denounced the silence of the international community regarding the occupation procedures, and called on the Palestinian Authority to put an end to the negotiations and security coordination with the occupation.
It also urged the Palestinian people to confront the Israeli plans and defend their land and holy places, and called upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to shoulder their responsibilities and protect the Palestinian territory from the danger of settlement and Judaization.
Hamas stressed in a statement on Thursday that the occupation's plan to steal the lands surrounding the Ibrahimi Mosque and its continued war on the holy sites and Islamic monuments in the city of al-Khalil represent a new Israeli crime against the Palestinian territory and a desperate attempt that will not succeed in obliterating the Islamic landmark of the city and isolating it from its Palestinian surroundings.
It strongly denounced the silence of the international community regarding the occupation procedures, and called on the Palestinian Authority to put an end to the negotiations and security coordination with the occupation.
It also urged the Palestinian people to confront the Israeli plans and defend their land and holy places, and called upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to shoulder their responsibilities and protect the Palestinian territory from the danger of settlement and Judaization.
Hundreds of Jewish settlers broke into Joseph's Tomb Friday morning in Nablus under heavy Israeli military protection to perform rituals.
Palestinian youths clashed with the invading troops and settlers and threw stones and empty bottles and built barricades to close some roads, while Israeli soldiers fired stun and tear gas grenades.
Eyewitnesses said that 500 Jewish settlers stormed the eastern part of Nablus accompanied with several military vehicles and headed towards Joseph's tomb where they performed religious Talmudic rituals.
Palestinian youths clashed with the invading troops and settlers and threw stones and empty bottles and built barricades to close some roads, while Israeli soldiers fired stun and tear gas grenades.
Eyewitnesses said that 500 Jewish settlers stormed the eastern part of Nablus accompanied with several military vehicles and headed towards Joseph's tomb where they performed religious Talmudic rituals.
16 jan 2014
The extremist Jewish temple groups declared their intents to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque on Thursday on the occasion of Tu Bishvat holiday. The Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage warned that the Jewish temple groups try hard to use every Jewish holiday to instill the myth of the temple in the daily and social life of the Zionist community.
The Aqsa foundation stressed the need for confronting such Judaization activities with more active moves strengthening the bonds of the Arab and Muslim nations with the cause of their Aqsa Mosque.
It called on all concerned Arab and Islamic parties and organizations to work on raising the awareness of their societies about the religious importance of the Aqsa Mosque.
The Aqsa foundation stressed the need for confronting such Judaization activities with more active moves strengthening the bonds of the Arab and Muslim nations with the cause of their Aqsa Mosque.
It called on all concerned Arab and Islamic parties and organizations to work on raising the awareness of their societies about the religious importance of the Aqsa Mosque.
15 jan 2014
The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Waqf and Heritage reports that Jewish groups have announced an "organizational structure" for the alleged storming of Al Aqsa Mosque, on Thursday, to coincide with a Jewish holiday.
According to Radio Bethlehem 2000, the organization said in a statement, on Wednesday, that the Jewish community will celebrate "Tu B’Shevat", tomorrow, by storming the mosque.
Tu B’Shevat is one of religious events overlapping with the beginnings of the Jewish New Year.
In context, the statement said that the so-called "group structure" is attempting to dissolve "myth structure" in everyday life and social status of all Israelis, through the establishment of various events such as visits by bridal Jews and birthdays for children, with the aim of linking them to the legend of the temple.
He pointed out that these groups have been and still are always working heavily on planting temple legends in the minds of the Jews.
The statement stressed the need for solidarity in the Islamic and Arab world at the level of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to work harder to link this case with their lives and to provide information for all segments of the awareness of the Muslim community.
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Al Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is situated on the Temple Mount, along with the Dome of the Rock, also referred to as al-Haram ash-Sharif or "Noble Sanctuary," the place where the old temple is generally accepted to have stood.
Pro-Israeli advocates have gone so far as to suggest bombing the mosque, to Christians, in order to see a third temple built in conjunction with biblical prophecy. However, not all Christians believe that the imagery found in the book of Revelation refers to an actual temple, but is an allegory of spiritual significance.
"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." ~Revelation 21:22
Related Link(s): http://www.rb2000.ps/ar/news/99125.html
According to Radio Bethlehem 2000, the organization said in a statement, on Wednesday, that the Jewish community will celebrate "Tu B’Shevat", tomorrow, by storming the mosque.
Tu B’Shevat is one of religious events overlapping with the beginnings of the Jewish New Year.
In context, the statement said that the so-called "group structure" is attempting to dissolve "myth structure" in everyday life and social status of all Israelis, through the establishment of various events such as visits by bridal Jews and birthdays for children, with the aim of linking them to the legend of the temple.
He pointed out that these groups have been and still are always working heavily on planting temple legends in the minds of the Jews.
The statement stressed the need for solidarity in the Islamic and Arab world at the level of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to work harder to link this case with their lives and to provide information for all segments of the awareness of the Muslim community.
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Al Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is situated on the Temple Mount, along with the Dome of the Rock, also referred to as al-Haram ash-Sharif or "Noble Sanctuary," the place where the old temple is generally accepted to have stood.
Pro-Israeli advocates have gone so far as to suggest bombing the mosque, to Christians, in order to see a third temple built in conjunction with biblical prophecy. However, not all Christians believe that the imagery found in the book of Revelation refers to an actual temple, but is an allegory of spiritual significance.
"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." ~Revelation 21:22
Related Link(s): http://www.rb2000.ps/ar/news/99125.html
The Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage confirmed that the so-called Israeli Antiquities Authority had carried out 104 drilling operations in Palestinian sites during 2013, including 22 sites in occupied Jerusalem , most notably was in the vicinity of al-Aqsa Mosque.
In its statement, the Foundation said that the Israeli excavations aimed at uncovering alleged Jewish monuments and wiping out Islamic and Arab historical monuments as part of Israeli Judaization policy in Palestinian lands.
The statement said that 22 excavations have been carried out in occupied Jerusalem including 4 drilling operations beneath and around al-Aqsa Mosque.
In its statement, the Foundation said that the Israeli excavations aimed at uncovering alleged Jewish monuments and wiping out Islamic and Arab historical monuments as part of Israeli Judaization policy in Palestinian lands.
The statement said that 22 excavations have been carried out in occupied Jerusalem including 4 drilling operations beneath and around al-Aqsa Mosque.
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A number of fanatic Israeli settlers burned the entrance of Ali Bin Abi Taleb Mosque, in the Deir Estia village, near the central West Bank city of Salfit.
Local sources said that the settlers infiltrated the village and attempted to burn the entire mosque, but local residents saw them and chased them away, managing to extinguish the fire before it spread. Israeli settlers are responsible for dozens of similar attacks against mosques, churches, Islamic and Christian holy sites and graveyards in occupied Palestine. |
In many cases, they wrote racist graffiti, not only against the Arabs and Palestinians but also, in several cases, against the Muslim Prophet Mohammad and Jesus Christ.
On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, dozens of Israeli settlers, protected by soldiers, took over a Palestinian-owned plot of land in an area east of the city of Hebron, and began planting it with olive trees.
On Monday, January 13, 2014, settlers cut down nearly 50 Palestinian olive trees, east of Yatta town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Last year, Israelis attacked, defaced and burned
several Islamic and Christian holy sites and graveyards in different parts of occupied Palestine.
They also cut, uprooted and burned hundreds of Palestinians trees, as well as flooded farmlands with sewage water in different parts of the occupied West Bank.
Settlers torch mosque in Salfit, spray racist graffiti
A group of settlers on Wednesday set fire to the facade of a mosque in the Salfit village of Deir Istiya and sprayed racist slogans on its walls, local officials said.
The mayor of Deir Istiya, Ayyub Abu Hijlah, told Ma'an that settlers sneaked into the village before dawn prayers and set fire to the main door of the mosque, causing minor damages.
"Local residents, alerted by a worshiper who saw the fire while on his way to perform dawn prayer, scared the settlers away and put out the fire," he said.
PA official Ghassan Daghlas said that locals managed to extinguish the blaze before it spread to the interior of the mosque.
"Arabs out!" and "Best regards from Qusra," were sprayed on the mosque, according to Israeli news site Ynet.
Other graffiti reading: "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked" was also found.
Last Tuesday, villagers in the Qusra and Jalud area managed to apprehend a group of settlers who had attempted to attack them and their property, holding them for several hours in a house.
The settlers, who were from the illegal outpost of Esh Kodesh, were later transferred to Israeli security forces after the villagers called PA liaison officials.
Settler attacks against Palestinians and their property are routine and often happen in the presence of Israeli military forces.
On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, dozens of Israeli settlers, protected by soldiers, took over a Palestinian-owned plot of land in an area east of the city of Hebron, and began planting it with olive trees.
On Monday, January 13, 2014, settlers cut down nearly 50 Palestinian olive trees, east of Yatta town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Last year, Israelis attacked, defaced and burned
several Islamic and Christian holy sites and graveyards in different parts of occupied Palestine.
They also cut, uprooted and burned hundreds of Palestinians trees, as well as flooded farmlands with sewage water in different parts of the occupied West Bank.
Settlers torch mosque in Salfit, spray racist graffiti
A group of settlers on Wednesday set fire to the facade of a mosque in the Salfit village of Deir Istiya and sprayed racist slogans on its walls, local officials said.
The mayor of Deir Istiya, Ayyub Abu Hijlah, told Ma'an that settlers sneaked into the village before dawn prayers and set fire to the main door of the mosque, causing minor damages.
"Local residents, alerted by a worshiper who saw the fire while on his way to perform dawn prayer, scared the settlers away and put out the fire," he said.
PA official Ghassan Daghlas said that locals managed to extinguish the blaze before it spread to the interior of the mosque.
"Arabs out!" and "Best regards from Qusra," were sprayed on the mosque, according to Israeli news site Ynet.
Other graffiti reading: "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked" was also found.
Last Tuesday, villagers in the Qusra and Jalud area managed to apprehend a group of settlers who had attempted to attack them and their property, holding them for several hours in a house.
The settlers, who were from the illegal outpost of Esh Kodesh, were later transferred to Israeli security forces after the villagers called PA liaison officials.
Settler attacks against Palestinians and their property are routine and often happen in the presence of Israeli military forces.
14 jan 2014
A group of right-wing Israelis led by US-born Jewish extremist Yehuda Glick toured the al-Aqsa compound on Tuesday, witnesses said.
The group consisted of around 25 people.
Meanwhile, Palestinian tour guide Ehab al-Jallad was detained by Israeli police while touring the compound with a group of students.
The reason behind his arrest is unclear.
Four Palestinian women were also denied entry to the mosque compound by Israeli forces, with no reason given.
An Israeli police spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Because of the sensitive nature of the Al-Aqsa compound, Israel maintains a compromise with the Islamic trust that controls it to not allow non-Muslim prayers in the area. Israeli forces regularly escort Jewish visitors to the site, leading to tension with Palestinian worshipers.
The compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque and is the third holiest site in Islam.
It is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
According to mainstream Jewish religious leaders, Jews are forbidden from entering for fear they would profane the "Holy of Holies," or the inner sanctum of the Second Temple.
Al-Aqsa is located in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territories that have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
The group consisted of around 25 people.
Meanwhile, Palestinian tour guide Ehab al-Jallad was detained by Israeli police while touring the compound with a group of students.
The reason behind his arrest is unclear.
Four Palestinian women were also denied entry to the mosque compound by Israeli forces, with no reason given.
An Israeli police spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Because of the sensitive nature of the Al-Aqsa compound, Israel maintains a compromise with the Islamic trust that controls it to not allow non-Muslim prayers in the area. Israeli forces regularly escort Jewish visitors to the site, leading to tension with Palestinian worshipers.
The compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque and is the third holiest site in Islam.
It is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
According to mainstream Jewish religious leaders, Jews are forbidden from entering for fear they would profane the "Holy of Holies," or the inner sanctum of the Second Temple.
Al-Aqsa is located in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territories that have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.
Director of the Islamic Waqf Council, Sheikh Abdel Azim Salhab, said that Israeli Occupation Authority (IOA) has intensified Judaization policy in occupied Jerusalem through escalating deportation and demolition campaigns and protecting settlers' break-ins into al-Aqsa Mosque. He pointed to the IOA attempts to obstruct restoration works carried out by the Waqf and Islamic Affairs Council and the Committee for the reconstruction of the Aqsa Mosque, in addition to installation of surveillance cameras inside al-Aqsa Mosque with the aim of monitoring Palestinian worshippers.
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, Sheikh Salhab charged that the IOA is working to isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian hinterland as a prelude to Judaize it.
He stressed that al-Aqsa Mosque with its courtyards, walls, domes, and chapels both above and below the ground belongs to Muslims only and no one but them has a right in it.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is part of the doctrine of one billion Muslims, he said.
Sheikh Salhab called on the IOA to put an end to its violations against al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian worshipers, and to remove surveillance cameras from the Mosque, and re-open the Mughrabi Gate and Tankaziyya School.
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, Sheikh Salhab charged that the IOA is working to isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian hinterland as a prelude to Judaize it.
He stressed that al-Aqsa Mosque with its courtyards, walls, domes, and chapels both above and below the ground belongs to Muslims only and no one but them has a right in it.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is part of the doctrine of one billion Muslims, he said.
Sheikh Salhab called on the IOA to put an end to its violations against al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian worshipers, and to remove surveillance cameras from the Mosque, and re-open the Mughrabi Gate and Tankaziyya School.
