Israeli excavation in Jerusalem stirs Muslim anger

[Eugene]

(Reuters)

Israeli excavation in Jerusalem stirs Muslim anger
Tue 6 Feb 2007 14:35:06 GMT

-snip-

By Jonathan Saul

JERUSALEM, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Israeli excavation work on Tuesday near an entrance
to a compound in Jerusalem that houses the al-Aqsa mosque drew Palestinian protests
and Israeli assurances the dig would not harm Islam's third holiest shrine.

Israeli police stationed reinforcements in the alleyways of Jerusalem's walled Old
City to head off feared Palestinian violence at a flashpoint site at the heart of the
Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Fatah faction led by President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement any damage
to the mosque would release Palestinian militant groups from a ceasefire with Israel
in the Gaza Strip they declared last November.

Israel's Antiquities Authority said it was searching for artefacts at the base of the
compound known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as Temple Mount before
construction of a pedestrian bridge to replace a ramp leading up to the complex.

-snip-

Full article: http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L06809373&WTmodLoc=World-R5-Alertnet-6

(Reuters)

Jordan king attacks Israel over mosque excavations
06 Feb 2007 15:13:04 GMT
Source: Reuters

AMMAN, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah said on Tuesday Israeli excavation works
near the al-Aqsa mosque in the holy city of Jerusalem has led to a dangerous rise in
Middle East tensions and could derail revival of Arab-Israeli peace talks.

"What Israel is doing in its practices and attacks against our sacred Muslim sites in
Jerusalem and al-Aqsa is a blatant violation that is not acceptable under any pretext,"
the monarch was quoted by the state news agency Petra as saying.

"These measures will only create an atmosphere that will not at all help in the success
of efforts being undertaken to restore the peace process," the monarch said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L06511181.htm

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

1. Israel

Leave That Mosque Alone :grr:

[brentblack]

2. Seems like they are...

...and seems like you are already assuming they have ill intent.

[pelsar]

3. such bs

and you have no idea whats going on....do you?

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Joanne98]

4. Israel begins renovation near holy site

Feb. 6, 2007, 1:43PM
Israel begins renovation near holy site

By MATTI FRIEDMAN Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

JERUSALEM — With dozens of policemen looking on, an Israeli bulldozer began work Tuesday on an archaeological excavation next to the Holy Land's most explosive religious site, drawing Palestinian protests and condemnations from the Arab world.

Muslims are angry at Israel's plan to build a new walkway up to the compound where Islamic tradition says the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven and which Jews revere as the site of their two ancient temples.

Israel says the project is needed to replace a centuries-old earthen ramp that partially collapsed in a snowstorm three years ago. But its assurances that the work would cause no harm to Islam's holy sites did little to soothe tensions.

Palestinian leaders harshly condemned the project, and Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in several areas of Jerusalem and the West Bank. No injuries were reported.

"What is happening is an aggression," Mohammed Hussein, the top Muslim cleric in Jerusalem, told the Gaza Strip radio station of the Hamas militant movement. "We call on the Palestinian people to unite and unify the efforts to protect Jerusalem."

The dig is 50 yards from the walls of the hilltop compound in Jerusalem's Old City known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. Palestinians and Israelis have clashed there in the past.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4530536.html

[BayCityProgressive]

5. great

please tell me this isn't the begginging of Israel trying to re-establish their temple?

[Joanne98]

6. It's probably the USA Christian right's idea!

[Ian David]

8. Immanentizing the Eschaton. n/t

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lurking Dem]

9. All they are doing is building a new ramp/walkway

from the Western Wall Plaza in the Old City of Jerusalem to the site of the Temple Mount. The current one is apparently in danger of breaking someone's neck.

Of course, Muslims would never dig under the Temple Mount.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/776922.html

[The Stranger]

10. This should go over well.

[Englander]

12. Israeli excavation in Jerusalem stirs Muslim anger

>snip

"DIRECT HARM"

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said before leaving for unity talks with Fatah in Mecca that Israel was out to cause "direct harm" to al-Aqsa.

"I appeal to all our Palestinian people to be united and to rise up together to protect al-Aqsa," he said.

Jordan's King Abdullah said the Israeli action was "a blatant violation that is not acceptable under any pretext," the state news agency Petra reported.

Morocco's King Mohammed urged Israel to halt immediately the work which "is aimed at distorting the hallmarks and the symbols of Islam and civilisation," the state news agency MAP said.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Israeli authorities should have consulted Palestinian parties.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L06809373.htm

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Violet_Crumble]

14. Do you also make fun of the funny Jews and funny Christians?

I bet you don't, even though all three religions show an oversensitivity when it comes to religious buildings etc in Jerusalem. As an atheist, I've got little time for the whining of any of them, but would never single out just one religion and have a bagging session coz imo that would make me look like a bigot...

If you think Muslims complaining about excavation work is nothing more than an attempt to show how evil the israelis/jews are, then you should also think that Jews or Christians complaining about the other religions doing something that offends their religious sensibilities are nothing more than an attempt to show how evil the palestinians/christians/muslims are...

[pelsar]

15. you would lose.....

because yes in fact i make far more fun of the "sensitiviies of the religous jews..." than others....especially when they find some old bones that delay the building of a multimillion dollar project.

if there is a difference in this one....when the religous jews do their thing, i doubt "secular progressives" join in and blame the israeli govt...here we see that at happening....interesting reaction:

muslims complain about a "non event" and progressives join in to blame israel...now when those progressives join in to defend religious jews for their stoning the gay parade i''ll be happy to apologise for my mistake (but we both now thats not going to happen....)

[Violet_Crumble]

18. I've already won that bet...

I have never seen you make such comments about religious Jews at DU. Maybe you have and the posts have been deleted? ;)

I don't know why yr having trouble understanding this, but all three religious groups blame each other. The Israeli govt gets drawn in coz it controls Jerusalem. If the Palestinians controlled Jerusalem, it'd be Palestine being drawn into it....

p.s. I see that Peretz is calling for a halt to the excavation now as well. Yet another anti-Israel type using it as an excuse to 'bash' Israel ;)

[pelsar]

19. cause there is little backing of religious jews here...

show me post where "progressives" here back religious jews where they are complaining about some kind of transgression by the israeli govt and you would see some sarcastic remarks by me.

what actually happens is that many "progressives" here seem to back muslim fanatic complaints whatever they are, no matter how absurd and no matter how little they understand about the subject as long as its against the israeli govt.

my complaint is is exactly that....

peretz is simply looking to diffuse the situation..giving in. does anybody here even know what the ramp looks like? what it connects to?...or is all that irrelevant?

[Violet_Crumble]

20. The King of Jordan is a muslim fanatic????

And the comments that you made weren't sarcastic, pelsar. The comments were bigoted, which is why they're no longer here....

When it comes to having knowledge of this situation, it's a sure bet that Peretz The Giver-Inner knows a whole lot more about it than you do...

p.s. As an atheist with a healthy disrespect for all religions, it's not hard to notice that others who claim to be atheists with the same healthy disrespect only do the frothing at the mouth routine whenever Muslims are mentioned...

[pelsar]

21. peretz like king jordan...

are playing politics....and yes i am a bigot... i very much bigoted against using religion to further political goals...... i have seen fanatic muslims or whatever the variation is backed up by "progressives" here...yet i doubt i would find the same for the settlers of hebron.

you tell me...why would a "progressive" here back the muslims calling for protests etc on this issue?

[Violet_Crumble]

22. That's not why yr comments were bigoted...

and yes i am a bigot... i very much bigoted against using religion to further political goals...

Try again. I'm opposed to using religion to further political goals, and that doesn't make someone a bigot. Focusing on one religion exclusively and making derogatory remarks about followers of that religion, on the other hand, would be bigoted...

Here's a fact for you. Just because someone is Muslim does NOT make them a fanatic. Maybe a few people who are complaining are fanatics, but the vast majority certainly wouldn't be fanatics...

I've seen plenty of instances where "progressives" show support for the Hebron settlers, and without exception they've been "supporters" of Israel. Will you be needing links to see for yrself?

I'm not sure who here has been backing up calls for protests. Are you sure yr not confusing it with progressives realising the political implications of this and being opposed to it for that reason?

[pelsar]

23. i 'm a multi religion bigot..

the muslim religion and they're fanatical element is simply making the headlines these days...plus this is the I/P forum so they get lots of attention.....just like israel does.

i believe the usual line is that israel deserves criticism irregardless of what other countries do...that goes both way doesnt it?..muslim fanatics get to be criticized no matter what hindu fanatics do....after all they're arent that many in this conflict.


if you havent heard the calls for protests perhaps it because you have limited news sources.......


Muslim leaders and Arab politicians Tuesday urged Palestinians to rush to the flashpoint Jerusalem mosque compound to protest against Israeli works that they charge threaten the site's foundations.

nothing like trying to cause a war over some reenovations on a 1,000 year old ramp....yes it disgusts me....

http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070206-081751-6821r

i cant seem to recall calls here to urge jews to rush to hebron or the tomb or rachel to protest something or another.....and have "progressives here back them up"

[Violet_Crumble]

24. Don't change the goalposts...

You said: 'i have seen fanatic muslims or whatever the variation is backed up by "progressives" here...yet i doubt i would find the same for the settlers of hebron.'

And when I point out that indeed some "supporters" of Israel here have done just that and offer to find links to the posts for you, the goalposts get changed to:


'i cant seem to recall calls here to urge jews to rush to hebron or the tomb or rachel to protest something or another.....and have "progressives here back them up"'

Also, you were claiming progressives in this thread were calling for protests, yet when I asked you who in this thread was doing that, you tell me I have limited news sources. I don't need a news source for you to point out to me where in this thread a DUer was calling for protests....

[pelsar]

25. then you misunderstood...

the first posts were blaming israel for doing nothing more than fixing a ramp....(the very first post blamed israel for some "wrong doing".....)

thats what my comment was all about... a comment backing some imagined "wrong doing by israel by the muslim leadership..and being backed up by someone who probably has no idea what is going on..the knee jerk reaction.

as far as hebron goes...i simply defined it better: my complaint is simple: "progressives" backing of religious people using their religion for political goals..that hasnt changed.

it could be the exapansion of the hebron compound or it could be call to protest repairs on a ramp that lead up to a mosque...its all the same.

[Scurrilous]

16. Peretz urges PM Olmert to halt Temple Mount construction

<snip>

"The work on the new bridge to the Temple Mount should be stopped immediately for fear of escalation and deterioration in the defense situation, Defense Minister Amir Peretz wrote Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday.

Peretz attached an opinion written by General (res.) Amos Gilad, head of the political-military bureau at the Defense Ministry. Gilad said in his letter the construction was causing considerable damage and would create foment in the Arab world, particularly at the present time, with Israel trying to initiate steps to calm things down with the Palestinians and the Arab world.

Gilad noted that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh were close to an agreement in Mecca on a unity government, and that an Olmert-Abbas summit is to take place in about two weeks. He also mentioned the planned visit to the region of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Gilad also expressed concern that the project had not been coordinated with Jordan.

Peretz reportedly learned late in the day about the decision to begin work at the site. Apparently the move was not thoroughly coordinated with him."

more




Stop Temple Mount works

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3362418,00.html

Jerusalem excavation work bound to lead to bloodshed, Palestinian uprising

<snip>

"The excavation works started this week by the Antiquities Authority for the purpose of setting up a bridge at the Mugrabi Gate, near the Temple Mount, will almost certainly spark the third round of bloodshed caused by Israeli initiatives related to the Temple Mount area. The next clash between Palestinians and Jews is already under way."

<snip>

"One of Fatah's leaders in the Gaza Strip said this week that once representatives of Palestinian organizations return from their talks in Mecca they will turn their attention to joint protests over the Temple Mount affair that would apparently start a new wave of riots in the Territories and protest rallies across the Arab world.

There was reasonable basis to assume that Ehud Olmert, who was Jerusalem's mayor at the time the Western Wall Tunnel was opened, would learn from his past experience and refrain, as a prime minister, from sparking a fire in the country and possibly in the entire region because of a wrong decision.

We don't have to demonstrate our sovereignty over every inch of united Jerusalem in every case. At this time, which isn't easy for Israel and features immediate dangers, ranging from Hizbullah in Lebanon to the Iranian nuclear threat, we don't need this confrontation, which will give the Palestinians a reason to end their own bloody clashes and unite against Israel.

Ten years after the Western Wall Tunnel riots, we should cry out and sound the alarm: Who will save us from the current excavations? Who is the wise person that can stop the works near Temple Mount that will lead to more needless bloodshed and stir up the entire Muslim world against us?"

[Scurrilous]

17. Olmert rejects ending al-Aqsa dig

<snip>

"Israel's prime minister has rejected a call from his defence minister to halt excavation work near Jerusalem's most important holy site, an Israeli newspaper reports.

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli leader, said he would allowed the dig near the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem to continue after the appeal from Amir Peretz, Israel's defence chief.

"A thorough examination of the matter would reveal that nothing about the work under way will harm anyone, and there is no truth in the contentions against the work," the Ha'aretz newspaper quoted Olmert's office as saying.

Arab states have said the work could damage al-Aqsa's foundations."

more

[Scurrilous]

26. Egypt summons Israeli ambassador to protest dig

Egyptian Foreign Ministry tells envoy Shalom Cohen excavations near Temple Mount could hurt efforts to revive peace process with Palestinians

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3362772,00.html

<snip>

"Egypt summoned the Israeli envoy in Cairo to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday to protest against excavations by the Jewish state near Jerusalem's most sacred Muslim shrine.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement it told the Israeli ambassador, Shalom Cohen, that the excavations could hurt efforts to revive the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

"The Foreign Ministry also stressed that the sacredness of the site makes any movement inside or around it a very sensitive issue for Arab and Muslim peoples, in a way that could cause the situation to explode," the statement said.

Egypt's top Muslim cleric, Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, on Wednesday called the Israeli excavations a "sinful aggression" and appealed for global action to protect the shrine, Islam's third holiest site.

Tantawi is the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar mosque, one of the oldest and most prominent seats of Muslim religious thinking."