by Dr. Reuven Berko
The use of the Al-Aqsa
mosque as a ploy to incite violence in Jerusalem is one of the oldest
tricks in the book. Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Mohammed Effendi Amin
el-Husseini used it back in 1929, and succeeded in inciting mass riots
and the murder of Jews in Hebron. In 2000, Palestine Authority Chairman
Yasser Arafat used the same trick to incite the Second Intifada.
Despite the fact that
over the years such riots have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of
Jews and Arabs alike, they have done little to promote the Palestinian
cause.
The "Al-Aqsa trick,"
which has most recently been employed by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas -- who complained before
the U.N. that Israel was instigating a religious war -- is based on the
desire to provoke war between Judaism and Islam. This trick's proponents
believe that since all Muslims hold the Al-Aqsa mosque dear, they would
immediately stop butchering each other and rally to its rescue.
This ploy is a regular
motif for the Islamic Movement as well. It uses it to incite a religious
war, raise millions in donations, and excel in the service of the
Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and the Islamic State group.
However, the very
sanctity of the mosque to all Muslims renders the Palestinian's false
claim to Jerusalem as their capital null and void. None of Islam's holy
cities has been made into a capital city. Instead, Muslims the world
over are busy killing each other and burning down mosques and churches.
The Palestinians, for their part, are busy complaining to the media that
despite their best efforts, the Arab-Muslim world is indifferent to
their problem.
Both Mashaal and Abbas
seek to incite violence in Jerusalem as leverage in their own internal
competition, especially given the triviality of the Palestinian cause
compared to the truly burning issues in the Middle East. The Palestinian
public is becoming more radical and the two are busy with the question
of who is more militant, rather than how to promote a realistic
solution.
This dynamic is
reminiscent of several Israeli politicians, who trampled all over the
defense establishment in their race to make radical statements about the
need to "seize" control of the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective
Edge.
The populist call to
change the status quo in Jerusalem and on Temple Mount, which is the
secret of the legitimacy lent to Israeli sovereignty in the capital,
contains the same pattern of ego and lacks any political vision; and it
is promoted by those willing to sacrifice national interests and
Israel's international image and legitimate rule in Jerusalem, for the
sake of a few more votes.
The status quo in
Jerusalem has been in place since its liberation in 1967, including
Jews' right to visit Temple Mount. Jewish religious leaders are divided
over the question of whether there is an actual need for Jews to pray on
Temple Mount, and in any case, after 2,000 years of absence, this is
hardly a pressing matter.
The regional Islamic
chaos further illustrates Israel's need to stay out of the crosshairs of
radical Islamists, as they go about killing each other. It is the
Palestinian provocation, assisted by some Israeli politicians, which
seeks to draw the fire in our direction.
Everyone knows the
integrity of the Al-Aqsa mosque is assured, as Israel has every interest
to see to it. Many Muslims understand that if the mosque were under
their control, rival Sunni and Shiite groups would either defile it to
spite each other, or simply blow it up. Israel's responsible policies in
the capital, especially its vigilance in maintaining freedom of worship
for all three monotheistic religions, has proved time and again that it
is worthy of its jurisdiction over the united city.
Jerusalem has overcome
bigger riots. The majority of Jerusalem's Arab residents suffers from
terrorism rather than support it, and it is no coincidence that vandals
are targeting the Jerusalem light rail, which links the city's east and
west together, both literally and figuratively.
Those hurling stones and Molotov
cocktails in Jerusalem serve as a reminder to us all: Before Israel left
Bethlehem and Beit Jala, rioters used to fire their AK-47s at
Jerusalem's Har Gilo and Har Homa neighborhoods, just as they used to
fire at Jewish homes prior to 1967. Those throwing Molotov cocktails at
homes in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood today, will fire Qassam and RPG
rockets at them tomorrow. Just wait and see.
Dr. Reuven Berko
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=10391
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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