Jerusalem clashes, seen by our Observers
Clashes in East Jerusalem. Photo posted on the Arabbab forum.
Palestinian protestors and Israeli police forces met with stones and rubber bullets in East Jerusalem this morning. Our Observers there, Israeli and Palestinian, give us their views on the clashes.
Unlike the west of the city which is located in Israel, East Jerusalem, or the Old City, remains part of the Palestinian Territories. Sacred to both Jews and Muslims, the ancient district has seen continued clashes for the past month.
The clashes first broke out when Palestinians came out in protest of Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to list the biblical Tomb of the Patriarchs (situated in the West Bank) as an Israeli heritage site.
On March 9 tensions were heightened further after it was announced that Israel would build 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem, breaking a five month settlement-freeze.
The last straw came on 15 March when the Israelis held an inauguration ceremony for the restored "Hurva" synagogue, located just 400 metres from the landmark al-Asqa mosque.
On Tuesday morning, the Israeli authorities deployed 3,000 police officers to the Old City to face protestors. Two officers and 16 protestors were injured; several arrests were made.
“Jews have no problems getting through. But Muslims under the age of 50 are not allowed”
Abdel Fatah Iskafi runs a shop next to one of the gates to the Old City. His family lives in Sheikh Jarrah, a district in East Jerusalem which is currently facing expropriation.
When the Israelis inaugurated the synagogue yesterday the Jews had no problems getting through. But Muslims who want to pray in the al-Asqa mosque are not allowed past if they're under the age of 50. The situation is unbearable.
The peace talks have come to a standstill and settlements are spreading. The taxes they impose on us are getting higher, youths and students are systematically stopped and searched, and women are harassed. They're trying to uproot us from here. It's ethnic cleansing.
The clashes today came as no surprise. Protestors are not acting on the advice of Hamas [which called for a new Intifada on 16 March]. We're not expecting anyone, neither Hamas nor Fatah, to express our disdain on behalf of us. We've lost everything; come what may, this is still our land."
“The Palestinians moaned that the dome of the synagogue was higher than that of the al-Asqa mosque. But is that really important?”
Ariel Woolf is a rabbinical school teacher in Efrat, a settlement near Hebron.
Concerning the Hurva synagogue, I don't think reopening it was done to provoke the Palestinians. It's just that as soon as we go near places considered sacred by the Muslims, feelings start running high. This synagogue is not new, just renewed; it's been there since 1700. The Palestinians moaned that the dome of the synagogue was higher than that of the al-Asqa mosque. But is that really important?
Access to the Old City was blocked because of security risks. We don't want people throwing stones at worshippers at the Wailing Wall.
As for the new settlements; Netanyahu talked of halting construction in November, but since then, Gilad Shalit hasn't been released and the Palestinians haven't done anything towards the peace process, so why stop building if we get nothing in return?"
Comments
" Wipe Israèl off the map " :
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 25/03/2010 - 04:31.Ahmadinejaad DID NOT threaten to " wipe Israèl off map . "
- The Imâm (Khomeïny) said this REGIME occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time . "
--------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mScWWtRfGQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Hurva synagogue
Submitted by Itamar (not verified) on Wed, 17/03/2010 - 08:00.Please check better the info. you are publishing. The restored "Hurva" synagogue (which was exploded by the Jordanians in 1948) is not 50 m. from el-Aksa, not even 500. It is inside the Jewish Quarter in the Old City. Would anyone protest if a Church would be renovated in the Christian or Armenian Quarter or a mosque in the Moslem Quarter? I doubt it.
That doesn't mean that there aren't other good reasons for the demonstrations (there are plenty). But you should keep your information accurate.
RE: Hurva synagogue
Submitted by Sophie Team Obs... on Wed, 17/03/2010 - 08:40.Hi Itamar,
We were certainly not disputing the fact that the synagogue is in the Jewish quarter of the Old City. However, it is not over 500 metres away either (it is in fact 400 metres from the mosque).
Thanks for pointing out the error, it has been corrected.
Sophie, Team Observers
To Abdel, If the Jews had
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 17/03/2010 - 03:04.To Abdel,
If the Jews had thrown rocks, they too would have been kept from entering. How about if you start protesting against those hatemongering Imams who preach hatred during their Friday sermons?
Abdel Fateh: It's not ONLY your land...
Submitted by Awetherhorn (not verified) on Wed, 17/03/2010 - 16:25.There are well documented records showing a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, even under the Turks. Denying that locations that the Israeli government identifies as heritage sites is neither factual, nor helpful. The method of making an agreement to SHARE both holy sites and land remains elusive because, more than any other factor, Palestinians are unwilling to recognize that they don't have exclusive rights. That same Hurva synagogue was destroyed, and all Jewish residents of the Old City were expelled (and, I might add, THEIR property expropriated) by Palestinian Arabs.
I am sure you are aware that the construction ban that has been asked for by the Palestinian Authority leaders causes more unemployment for Arabs. Similarly, the ban on Palestinians working in Jewish establishments proposed by those same leaders can hardly be seen as a step towards building confidence. The failure of Arab leaders in 1948 (which continues to this day) to accept the multi-cultural nature of the area was/is one of the major reasons no progress has been made towards peace.