PA ignorance of Jewish observance fuels Temple Mount paranoia
PA Jerusalem District Spokesman Ma'arouf Al-Rifai: "Today, no pictures or videos of [settler] invasions were published, and this concerns us. On previous occasions, the settlers' own websites published their invasions, prostrations, prayers, and the raising of the Israeli flag. Today, no pictures of the invasions were published in the morning or evening, and no media outlet published them. Therefore, we fear that there is something planned that is hidden from the public eye and the camera's eye."
[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, Sept. 14, 2026]
Al-Rifai was interviewed on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, so no Jews visiting the Temple Mount used any electronic devices, as that would be a desecration of the holiday. This is a quintessential example of how the Palestinians exploit every event (or even the absence of one) to incite religious fear as to the Jews' intentions regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque.