Palestinian use of the Temple Mount for incitement is nothing new. Illustrative banner of terrorists and Dome of the Rock. By Joshua Spurlock
One day after three Israeli civilians were murdered in their own home by a Palestinian terrorist, the armed-wing of the Hamas terrorist organization warned of a new wave of “heroic acts” according to the group’s website, due to the situation in Jerusalem. The website paraphrased Abu Obaida, spokesperson of Al Qassam Brigades, as also saying on Saturday that “Israeli aggression” in the holy city—presumably the placing of metal detectors at the main entrance to the Temple Mount and the ensuing clashes between violent Arabs and Israeli security forces—would “ignite the Jerusalem Intifada,” the Arabic word used for multiple terror campaigns.
The Hamas report noted what it termed an “anti-occupation stabbing” that killed three Israelis on Friday, referencing the brutal assault on an Israeli home that killed 70-year-old Yosef Solomon, 46-year-old Chaya Solomon, and 36-year-old Elad Solomon. Israeli Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld tweeted the victim’s names and ages, while retired IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner posted a graphic photo to Twitter of the blood-stained kitchen where the attack took place. The IDF Spokesperson’s Twitter feed posted a photo of Gazans celebrating the murders and then on Sunday, tweeted that a rocket was launched from Gaza at Israel but exploded in the air, resulting in no reported injuries.
Jerusalem has experienced rioting and protests after Israel decided to set up the metal detectors to prevent arms smuggling into the Temple Mount compound. The security measure was implemented after two Israeli policemen were shot and killed by Arab attackers in the Temple Mount area.
Friday’s terror-stabbing marked a decided uptick in the violence since the metal detectors were put in place. Multiple Palestinians have also been killed in clashes with Israeli security forces over the metal detectors, according to i24 News.
On Saturday, the Middle East Quartet—the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations—expressed their “regret for all loss of innocent life” and said they “strongly condemn acts of terror.”
The statement, published by the U.S. State Department, said the Quartet envoys “welcome the assurances by the Prime Minister of Israel that the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem will be upheld and respected.” They also “encourage Israel and Jordan to work together to uphold the status quo.”
Said the statement, “The Quartet Envoys reiterate that violence deepens mistrust and is fundamentally incompatible with achieving a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Hamas, meanwhile, has engaged in multiple wars with Israel from their homebase in the Gaza Strip. After Temple Mount tensions in the early 2000s were used as excuses to launch the Second Intifada terror campaign, Hamas was behind multiple suicide bombings.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, July 23, 2017)