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Palestinians’
eyes on Mecca, their hearts on Al Aqsa
Posted By Mohammed Mar'i mmaree63@gmail.com
The Israeli police detained head of the Islamic Movement
Sheikh Ra'ad Salah Wednesday for trying to reach the site of
excavation work at the Magharbah Gate in the Old City of
Jerusalem. Six people accompanying Sheikh Salah were also
arrested after confrontation broke out between them and the
Israeli police.
Access to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound was restricted by
Israeli police for the second consecutive day due to fears of
further protests over the work in the area. Only women and men
over the age of 45 and holders of Israeli identity cards were
allowed entry. Meanwhile the Israeli Justice Ministry was
reported Wednesday that it is looking into the legality of
construction permits issued for the erection of a permanent
bridge between the Western Wall and the Al Magharbah Gate.
Salah and the head of the Jerusalem Supreme Muslim Council
Ikrima Sabri called this week for all Muslims in Israel to
flock to Al Aqsa mosque to prevent Israel from actions that
they say are meant to destroy the Magharbah Gate.
Talab Al Sana' of the United Arab List party and member of
Israeli parliament cautioned that the excavations were likely
to ignite a third Intifada, that will include protests and
conflict throughout the Arab and Muslim world.
"The Israeli government is again provoking the Muslim
world and the Palestinian people, and is not hesitating to
ignite the region on behalf of irresponsible decisions,"
Al Sana' said. He accused the Israeli government of trying to
"deflect attention away from their failures in the war in
Lebanon."
He also criticized the arrest of Salah and demanded his
release immediately.
"This is a political arrest and the decision is a
mistake, like other decisions in a string of mistakes,"
Al Sana' said. "The solution is not the arrest of Sheikh
Salah, but rather a halt to the excavations that pose a threat
to the peace and stability in the area", he added.
Members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing
of Fatah movement, have closed the commercial shops in the
West Bank city of Hebron to protest against the Israeli
excavations at the Magharbah Gate. This protest came after the
Islamic and national Palestinian factions in Hebron called
Tuesday night for a strike on Wednesday in protest against the
Israeli excavations at Al Aqsa Mosque. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades also demanded that the leaders meeting in Mecca reach
a comprehensive national accord which serves all Palestinian
citizens.
Leaders of Islamic organisations have warned in recent
weeks that Al-Aqsa Mosque is under threat from the excavation.
They have urged followers to mobilize to block Israeli work
near the compound.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested several
Palestinians in Jerusalem and other West Bank cities on
Wednesday. The IOF also arrested three students in Jerusalem
during a protest against the Israeli excavations in al-Aqsa
Mosque. In the West Bank city of Qalqilya, the IOF again
detained three Palestinian brothers during an incursion to the
city in search for wanted Palestinian activists.
Witnesses said that two other citizens were arrested in the
same operation. The IOF also arrested a 19-year-old citizen
after breaking into his house in Hebron. Besides, the IOF
stormed Nablus city, broke into houses and arrested two
citizens from the adjacent refugee camp of Balata.
Although a positive political atmosphere dominates the West
Bank and Gaza over the Mecca meeting between Fatah and Hamas,
unidentified gunmen kidnapped the director general of
hospitals in the West Bank from his office in Al Bireh/Ramallah
on Wednesday. Witnesses said that more than 20 armed men broke
into the Ministry of Health in Al-Bireh and abducted Dr Bilal
Al Abboushi, 50, and took him to an unknown destination. They
also broke into the office of the ministry's undersecretary,
Dr Husam Khraim, and ransacked it. Khraim was not in his
office at the time.
Referring to the Palestinian meeting in Mecca, The Israeli
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that "at this time the
international community must show determination regarding the
Palestinians' compliance of the Quartet's demands".
"It's important to have dialogue with the moderate
elements on the Palestinian side, but this does not relieve
them of their responsibility," added Livni after a
meeting with British Foreign Minster Margaret Beckett.
Reaffirming the Quartet preconditions, Margaret said
"We've said from the beginning that any [PA] government
has to abide by the Quartet demands to recognize Israel".
"If Hamas won't change its position, we won't be able
to change ours regarding them," Beckett declared.
*Mohammed Mar'i is a freelance Palestinian journalist
and a regular contributor to esinislam.com based in Ramallah,
Occupied Palestine
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