PMW Bulletin
August 5, 2015

PA promoting religious war
http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=15442

by Itamar Marcus
p:+972 2 625 4140 e: pmw@palwatch.org

f: +972 2 624 2803 w: www.palwatch.org

One of the most dangerous libels promoted by the Palestinian Authority and
Fatah is that Israel is planning to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque. As
documented by Palestinian Media Watch, this libel has been disseminated by
the PA for many years and increases occasionally, often appearing alongside
calls by the PA to increase "popular resistance." According the the PA, this
includes rioting, stone throwing and other attacks against Israelis.

The above cartoon posted by Fatah shows a Jew trying to destroy the Al-Aqsa
Mosque and warns of religious war. The Jew in the cartoon has the word
"excavations" written on his suit. The PA adamantly opposes excavations near
the Temple Mount and in the City of David because the many archaeological
finds in those areas related to Jewish history expose the falsehood of PA
claims that Jews never lived in Jerusalem and that there never was a Jewish
Temple. The PA therefore charges that the excavations are intended to cause
the Mosque to collapse.

Two other recent cartoons, one posted by Fatah and the other in the PA
official daily, likewise depict Israel destroying the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In one
cartoon, an Israeli soldier is cutting the dome off the Dome of the Rock. In
the other, Israeli PM Netanyahu is digging up the foundation of Al-Aqsa
Mosque with a bulldozer:

Last month, in the period leading up to the recent riots by Palestinians at
the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the PA had increased the frequency of this libel. PA
Minister of Religious Affairs, Sheikh Yusuf Ida'is, who is appointed by PA
Chairman Abbas, claimed that Israel is carrying out an "evil plan to destroy
the Al-Aqsa Mosque and establish the alleged Temple":

PA Minister of Religious Affairs, Sheikh Yusuf Ida'is: "Indeed, the Israeli
establishment insists on carrying out its evil plan to destroy the Al-Aqsa
Mosque and establish the alleged Temple. This is [done] by establishing
facts on the ground, for the Muslims, so they will accept the inevitability
of the situation. Every month there are invasions (i.e., visits by Jews to
the Temple Mount). Last month, there were more than 184 invasions into
places of worship, and especially into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque [plaza]
(i.e., the Temple Mount), as the Israeli establishment allows the herds of
settlers to enter the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque [plaza] daily - which provokes
the feelings of Muslims - under protection of the Israeli occupation
police."
[Official PA TV, July 8, 2015]
Click to view
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=772&fld_id=772&doc_id=15316

The PA incites Palestinians to reject religious tolerance by defining any
presence of Jews on the Temple Mount as an "invasion." Jews who want to
visit the Temple Mount are considered to be "defiling" the "pure" Islamic
holy site.

The highest religious authority in the PA, Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Hussein,
presented Jews' wish to visit the Temple Mount as a "desecration" and
"continuing attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque," which he interpreted as
indicating "an impending religious war." He encouraged Palestinians to
defend the mosque and "thwart the escalating Israeli calls to invade the
Al-Aqsa Mosque [plaza] and hold Talmudic ceremonies (i.e., Jewish prayers)
in its pure courtyards":

"[The Mufti] explained that the continuing attack against the Al-Aqsa
Mosque, its desecration, and the encouragement of the extremists to visit
it, indicate an impending religious war... The Mufti called on
worshippers... to make every effort to visit it [the mosque] and strengthen
their presence in it, in order to protect it from the ongoing and increasing
attacks against it.
In addition, he stressed that our people will tenaciously hold onto their
mosque, regardless of the cost and sacrifices it would take, until the day
Allah inherits the land and everything on it. The Mufti called on the Arab
nation and the Islamic nation to carry out their duty and protect the
Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem, and to assist them with every means at their
disposal in order to protect the purity of the Holy City and prevent the
vigorous attempts to desecrate, falsify [its character] and Judaize it."
[WAFA (the official Palestinian news agency), July 13, 2015 and Al-Ayyam,
July 14, 2015]

The PA solution to Jewish visits to the Temple Mount is to increase violence
there and eventually get rid of any Jewish presence there, as is shown in
this cartoon broadcast on PA TV and posted on the Facebook page of
Palestinian National Security Forces:

[Official PA TV, July 17, 2015; Facebook page of the
Palestinian National Security Forces, Nov. 8, 2014]

Click to view more examples of the PA promoting the libel that Israel is
attempting to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque.
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=771

Click to view more examples of the PA defining the conflict with Israel as a
religious war.
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=1061

The following is a longer excerpt of the article quoting the PA Mufti
mentioned above:

Headline: "PA Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Hussein calls to increase visits to
Al-Aqsa"

"PA Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and preacher at
the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein called to increase visits to the
Al-Aqsa Mosque, in order to thwart the escalating Israeli calls to invade
the Al-Aqsa Mosque [plaza] and hold Talmudic ceremonies (i.e., Jewish
prayers) in its pure courtyards. This was after the extremist Temple
organizations called on their supporters to organize a Jewish demonstration
in front of the Golden Gate (in Jerusalem's old city walls -Ed.) this
Tuesday [July 14, 2015], the 27th of Ramadan, in order to demand that the
Al-Aqsa Mosque [plaza] be closed to all Muslims during the anniversary of
the so-called 'destruction of the Temple.' (i.e.,Tisha B'Av - see note).

The Mufti considered this call a dangerous escalation, and explained that
the continuing attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, its desecration, and the
encouragement of the extremists to visit it, indicate an impending religious
war.
In addition, he stated that the calls and the aggressive plans inciting to
desecrate the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards and to harm it have
increased during the month of Ramadan. The Mufti called on worshippers from
Jerusalem and the 1948 territories (i.e., Israel) and anyone who is able to
reach the Al-Aqsa Mosque from across the homeland, to make every effort to
visit it and strengthen their presence in it, in order to protect it from
the ongoing and increasing attacks against it.

In addition, he stressed that our people will tenaciously hold onto their
mosque, regardless of the cost and sacrifices it would take, until the day
Allah inherits the land and everything on it.
The Mufti called on the Arab nation and the Islamic nation to carry out
their duty and protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem, and to assist them
with every means at their disposal in order to protect the purity of the
Holy City and prevent the vigorous attempts to desecrate, falsify [its
character] and Judaize it."
[WAFA (the official Palestinian news agency), July 13, 2015 and Al-Ayyam,
July 14, 2015]

"Alleged Temple organizations" - refers to religious Jewish movements
including the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation, The Jewish Freedom on the
Temple Mount initiative and Students for the Temple Mount, which spread
awareness of the importance of the Temple Mount in Judaism and encourage
people to visit the site. Preceding the Purim holiday, religious websites
such as the Temple Mount News website [Feb. 23, 2015] announced a "special
visit" to the Temple Mount, which was expected to draw "masses of Jews."

Tisha B'Av is a Jewish day of mourning, commemorating the destruction of the
First and Second Temples (BCE 586 and CE 70) in Jerusalem and the forced
exile of all Jews from the land of Israel.