Monday, February 13, 2012

Palestinians Take Stand against Break-In to Al-Aqsa Mosque

Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed popular and religious gatherings at dawn on Sunday, due to threats by members of the right-wing Israeli party, Likud, to break-in to the mosque. Israeli forces intensified their security presence surrounding the gates of al-Aqsa Mosque.
Likud is the party of current Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jerusalem's Palestinian religious and political leaders responded to calls by prominent Likud member, Moche Feiglin, for the destruction of al-Aqsa Mosque with strong appeals to Palestinians to attend the mosque and be present in its courtyards in order to defend its sanctity. Feiglin received 23% of the vote in recent Likud elections which re-elected Netanyahu as party head.

Press sources told PNN that tensions were high between the Israeli soldiers and the Palestinian youth at the mosque. According to the sources, the Palestinian presence in the mosque's courtyard prevented the Israeli party from entering the mosque.

According to the Israeli police, "Police closed the Temple Mount to visitors," said Micky Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman. "The decision was made after leaflets were distributed calling on people to cause disturbances on the Temple Mount," Rosenfeld further stated. The Temple Mount is the term used by many Jews to refer to the complex which contains al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and the Western Wall.

On Saturday night, the Israeli forces set up military and police checkpoints at the Old City's gates, especially at Damascus Gate, Herod's Gate, and Lions' Gate to check the citizens' ID cards.

The Israeli forces spread out in the Old City's streets and surrounded al-Aqsa Mosque to be present at 3:00 AM on Sunday after the Jewish morning prayers had ended at the Western Wall.

The Israeli forces did not restrict the citizens' movement to go through the Old City's gates and citizens came from all over Jerusalem, to participate in al-Fajer, or dawn, prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque. Officials from the Palestinian Authority, al-Awqaf Department for Islamic Affairs, and Islamic movements associated with the mosque, brought more than 100 busloads of Palestinians to be a presence at the mosque and listen to lectures.

Some of Palestinian youths attending the prayer at the mosque had their ID cards confiscated and it is expected that they will be arrested. It is also known that the mosque's courtyard is under camera surveillance which monitors movements inside the courtyard. Many people are afraid of an arrest campaign especially for the youths from Jerusalem's Old City.

 http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/national/845-pnn-palestinians-take-stand-against-break-in-to-al-aqsa-mosque

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