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Jewish worshippers are evacuated by Israeli police from the Western Wall after Palestinians lobbed stones over the wall from the Temple Mount on Sunday. (Reuters)
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| By Ellis Shuman July 30, 2001 |
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Israeli police have blamed Arab Knesset members Ahmad Tibi (Ta-al) and Abdel Malik Dehamshe (United Arab List) for inciting Palestinians into rioting on the Temple Mount yesterday, leading to the injury of 19 policemen and dozens of Palestinians.
"The riots didn't just start," claimed Jerusalem Police Chief Cmdr. Mickey Levy. "Our intelligence reports indicate that Arab political leaders? heated up the atmosphere on the Temple Mount." Police Commissioner Shlomo Aharonishky added, "Those who were expected to work towards reducing the violence, in the end led the incitement."
According to the police, Dehamshe led yesterday's violent events, even though it was clear to him that the "Third Temple cornerstone," part of a Temple Mount Faithful ceremony eventually held outside the Old City Walls, would not be brought to the Temple Mount at all. One of the 28 Palestinians arrested for stone throwing yesterday was Dehamshe's 14-year-old son. Even after his son's arrest, Dehamshe continued to claim, "No stones were thrown from the Temple Mount."
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"I felt as if the Temple was being destroyed again."
- Rivka Hasidof, after being forced to leave the Western Wall plaza under a barrage of stones
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Dehamshe told Maariv that none of the police actions frightened him. "The minute it is decided to lay a cornerstone for the Third Temple, and it doesn't matter how far this is [from the Temple Mount], this brings every Muslim to jump to alert to physically protect Al-Aksa," he said, referring to the Temple Mount mosque that is Islam's third-holiest site.
Tibi added, "Al-Aksa is my home, and it is my obligation to be there. Cmdr. Levy is airing illogical and incorrect facts about me. My presence there actually helped ease tensions."
According to Maariv, security officials believe that Sheikh Raid Salah, leader of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement, is the central figure behind yesterday's riots on the Temple Mount. Salah arrived at the Mount accompanied by hundreds of his followers.
Yossi Levy, writing in Maariv today, claims that yesterday's riots were not spontaneous but rather were carefully planned in advance. "Already on the weekend the incitement began in the mosques, calling to come and protect Al-Haram Al-Sharif (Temple Mount) from the Jews who plan to build their Third Temple there." After Dehamshe published an announcement calling for a mass protest on the Mount, "the snowball started to grow" and it was difficult for the Arab Knesset members to douse the flames that they had helped ignite, according to Levy.
Stone throwing leads to police action
Shortly after noon yesterday, Palestinian demonstrators on the Temple Mount began hurling stones onto the Western Wall plaza. Police immediately evacuated the Jewish worshippers, gathered at the site on the occasion of the Tisha B'Av holiday marking the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Some worshippers used plastic chairs and prayer books for cover as they dodged the stones.
Jerusalem resident Rivka Hasidof told Ha'aretz, "When I ran from the Kotel (Western Wall), I had tears in my eyes ... I felt as if the Temple was being destroyed again. I don't know how such a scene is allowed to occur, in a Jewish state."
Shortly afterwards, a contingent of some 400 riot police stormed through the Mugrabi Gate into the Temple Mount compound. The police were armed with batons and stun grenades, and despite initial reports by Palestinian medics, no bullets, rubber or live, were fired at the demonstrators.
After the stone throwing stopped, worshippers were allowed to return to the Wall. The confrontation between police and demonstrators on the Temple Mount continued. Some 19 policemen and dozens of Palestinians were lightly wounded in the clashes. The police made initial arrests on the Mount, but according to media reports, additional arrests will be made in the coming days based on film shot by security cameras during the riots.
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