Bulletin
Aug. 30, 2010

PA minister threatens war over Jerusalem

"The term 'war' will not be erased from the lexicon...
as long as Jerusalem is occupied"
said PA Minister of Religious Affairs in sermon
in presence of PA Chairman Abbas
www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=2964

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
p:+972 2 625 4140 e: pmw@palwatch.org
f: +972 2 624 2803 w: www.palwatch.org

Speaking about Jerusalem, and with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud
Abbas in the audience, PA Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash
in his Friday sermon threatened that "Jerusalem can ignite a thousand and
one wars" and that unless Jerusalem "returns" to the Palestinians, "its
owners," and unless it becomes the capital of the Palestinian people, "there
is no peace."

The Minister also warned that "If Jerusalem is dishonored, if Jerusalem is
disgraced, if [Jerusalem] is lost, it may leave the door open to all
possibilities of struggle, all possibilities of war. The term 'war' cannot
be erased from the lexicon of this region as long as Jerusalem is
occupied..."

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was present in the audience while Habbash made
these statements.

Click here to view
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=472&fld_id=474&doc_id=2965

The following is the excerpt from the Friday sermon from the mosque at
Mahmoud Abbas's office in Ramallah and broadcast on PA TV:

Speaker: Mahmoud Al-Habbash, PA Minister of Religious Affairs, and PA
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is in the audience.

"Jerusalem is not just a city. Al-Aqsa is not just a mosque. Jerusalem is
the key to peace, and Jerusalem can ignite a thousand and one wars. Unless
the issue of Jerusalem is solved, so that it returns to its owners; unless
Jerusalem will be Palestinian, as it was throughout history, the capital of
the Palestinian state and the capital of the Palestinian people, the place
which is the object of heartfelt longing and which all Muslims aspire to
reach; unless Jerusalem is like that way, there is no peace. There is no
peace without Jerusalem. There is no stability without Jerusalem... If
Jerusalem is dishonored, if Jerusalem is disgraced, if [Jerusalem] is lost,
it may leave the door open to all possibilities of struggle, all
possibilities of war. The term 'war' cannot be erased from the lexicon of
this region as long as Jerusalem is occupied, as long as Jerusalem is
disgraced, as long as the residents of Jerusalem are being targeted. It's
not possible; Jerusalem has to return to its owners. And we are its owners."

[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 20, 2010]