HRM Deborah of Israel: Israeli Police Storm Aqsa

An injured Palestinian is evacuated after Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and fired stun grenades at worshippers at the end of Friday prayers. (EPA)

Hisham Abu Taha, Arab News

GAZA CITY, 10 February 2007 — Hundreds of Israeli police and army special units stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque after Palestinians ended their Friday prayers. Israeli forces hurled stun and tear gas grenades toward the worshippers who were protesting excavation work at the mosque.

Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, the supreme judge of Palestine, told reporters that a large number of Israeli police stormed the mosque compound under the cover of intensive gunfire. He added nearly 20 worshippers were wounded during the attack and more than 15 were arrested.

Tamimi reiterated yesterday his call for a day of protest against the Israeli excavation work at the mosque, which he slammed as a “crime placing the whole world on the brink of religious war.” He told reporters, “I call on the Palestinians to head to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and I call on the Arab and Islamic masses all over the world to express their anger today regarding this crime.” Tamimi had earlier announced that yesterday was to be “a day of fury” over the Israeli aggression on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli police raised a security alert in the Old City early yesterday and prevented Palestinian worshippers from reaching the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday prayers, fearing a protest against the latest aggression.

However, despite strict Israeli measures thousands of Jerusalemites, Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians from the West Bank managed to reach the Al-Aqsa Mosque to protest the Israeli excavation.

Three thousand Israeli police were operating in the Old City of Jerusalem, security sources said. Palestinians under 45 years of age were prevented from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and those older than 45 years were allowed to enter only on foot.

Four days ago the Israel antiquities authority began a salvage excavation in the area around the Al-Maghrabia gate under the pretext of erecting supporting pillars for an old bridge that leads to the mosque compound.

Israeli bulldozers destroyed the bridge and two ancient rooms in the area of excavation. Palestinians are concerned that the excavation and digging of tunnels in the area could seriously affect Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest mosque.

“Throughout history, the Zionists never respected freedom of religion. It is still fresh in our memories the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969,” said Fadi Mahmoud, a Lebanese restaurant worker in Jeddah.

He said the underground tunnel project would affect the mosque’s foundation. He called for stronger reaction from the Muslim world against the Israeli action. “Why the countries that have relations with the Zionist state are not pulling out their ambassadors or terminating the relations with Israel?” he asked.

Hassan Al-Ahmadi, a Saudi government worker, said the Muslim world should take quick action to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli aggression. “We should not wait until the mosque is leveled to the ground to react. The Zionists will pay a heavy price if they touch one stone of the mosque,” he said.

Al-Ahmadi said if the Muslim governments fail to react for fear of the superpower then hundreds of thousands of Muslims around the world would go out on the streets to protest Israeli action.

“Demolishing homes around the holy mosque to build the bridge is just a step toward bringing the bulldozers closer to destroy it,” he warned.

“The Zionists are cowards. They will not dare touch the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Sultan Al-Muhammadi, a Saudi college student.