Palestinians warn of projected Israeli attempts to destroy al-Aqsa (report)

Many Palestinian figures have expressed their fears that, based on field and security indicators, the Israeli occupation may take advantage of some events or what they call “the historic moment” to destroy al-Aqsa Mosque.

Dr. Jamal Amr, an expert in Jerusalem affairs and settlements, said in an exclusive statement to the PIC that field and security indicators confirm that the Israeli occupation is about to carry out a lethal act of aggression including a high probability of destroying al-Aqsa Mosque and build the alleged temple on its ruins.

Amr added: “Recently, Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948-occupied Palestinian lands, warned of destroying al-Aqsa Mosque depending on some information he has received, and I agree with him; because the political and legislative leaderships in Israel are making promises to build the alleged temple.”

And among the most prominent Israeli leaders who call for building the alleged temple are the housing minister, Uri Ariel, and the deputy speaker of the Knesset, Moshe Feiglin, and a number of the current government officials.

Dr. Amr clarified that: “The Israeli leaders who promised the Israeli voters to build the temple have been carrying out attacks and break-ins throughout the past months”, and warned that they might take advantage of the successive crises currently rocking the Arab countries. He also drew attention to the Israeli drones flying over Al-Aqsa Mosque, noting that these drones could be used to launch bomb attacks.

He also pointed out that: “After 17 March, the Israeli election date, we will face a very serious dilemma ; because members of 25 extremist organizations admitted that they have been subjected to pressure from the Israeli police and intelligence to escalate their break-ins and attacks against al-Aqsa Mosque and the worshipers in it, provoke them and take off the Palestinian women’s Hijabs (veils) so as to trigger a Palestinian reaction and then use it as an excuse for committing a massacre similar to the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre.”

Critical days
For his part, Sheikh Raed Salah said that the days following the Israeli Knesset elections will be critical because of the dangerous projects the Israeli parties declared, and pointed out that some Arab parties conveyed to him a serious warning concerning Israeli schemes to explode a bomb inside al-Aqsa Mosque within the next days that follow the elections.

“We will play our role in protecting al-Aqsa Mosque as we have always done,” Sheikh Raed Salah said, adding: “Palestinians must stay in al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning and perform I’tikaaf (a religious retreat) inside it in the night and be always prepared for any possible assault,” and pointed out that even the leftist Meretz party approved performing Talmudic rituals inside al-Aqsa Mosque.

Moreover; there are Israeli statements stressing the importance of imposing a temporal division on al-Aqsa after the Israeli Knesset elections. He also emphasized that the current crises and the domestic problems Arab states are preoccupied with should not distract us from protecting Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque.