Abbas’ advisor warns that Israel may be planning a massacre at Al-Aqsa Mosque or to attack its buildings
“At a press conference attended by Jordanian MP Dr. Muhammad Al-Dawaymeh, Attorney Ahmed Al-Ruweidi, the PA President's Office’s advisor on Jerusalem Affairs, warned that Israel may perpetrate a massacre in the Al-Aqsa Mosque or attack its buildings, as an excuse to carry out the plan to divide it according to areas… Al-Ruweidi emphasized that the events of the past two weeks at the Al-Aqsa Mosque indicate that Israel is gradually implementing a planned scheme decided on by the Israeli government – in particular, by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – against the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Ruweidi expects the occupation to perpetrate a great crime at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, following which the Mosque will be divided according to areas, as happened at the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron, where the occupation exploited the massacre (i.e., when an Israeli extremist killed 29 worshippers at the mosque in 1994) that had occurred in order to divide it according to space. In addition, Al-Ruweidi addressed the attempt to inflame the Al-Aqsa Mosque premises by firing rubber-coated bullets and tear gas at it, in an attempt to reenact the burning of the Mosque in 1969, or to carry out a massacre in its plazas, after which the plan to divide it according to areas would be implemented.”
Notes: The physical division and division according to time refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount. The law seeks to implement separate prayer times for Muslims and Jews at the site.
Cave of the Patriarchs massacre - on Feb. 25, 1994, Israeli Baruch Goldstein, a member of an Israeli far-right movement, opened fire on Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, killing 29 and wounding 125.
In addition to its verbal condemnation of the massacre, the Israeli government took concrete steps to prevent similar attacks from occurring, by imposing administrative detentions on several individuals and revoking their weapons permits, and by designating several extremist movements, including Goldstein’s, as illegal terrorist groups. In 1998, Israel passed a law outlawing monuments to honor terrorists, and dismantled the memorial to Goldstein which had been erected by his supporters.
The fire in the Al-Aqsa Mosque – In 1969, Michael Rohan, a deranged Australian Christian, set fire to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. For years, the Palestinian Authority has falsely accused Israel of setting the fire.
Notes: The physical division and division according to time refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount. The law seeks to implement separate prayer times for Muslims and Jews at the site.
Cave of the Patriarchs massacre - on Feb. 25, 1994, Israeli Baruch Goldstein, a member of an Israeli far-right movement, opened fire on Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, killing 29 and wounding 125.
In addition to its verbal condemnation of the massacre, the Israeli government took concrete steps to prevent similar attacks from occurring, by imposing administrative detentions on several individuals and revoking their weapons permits, and by designating several extremist movements, including Goldstein’s, as illegal terrorist groups. In 1998, Israel passed a law outlawing monuments to honor terrorists, and dismantled the memorial to Goldstein which had been erected by his supporters.
The fire in the Al-Aqsa Mosque – In 1969, Michael Rohan, a deranged Australian Christian, set fire to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. For years, the Palestinian Authority has falsely accused Israel of setting the fire.