Palestinian authorities warn against encroachments on the Al-Aqsa mosque and other moslem holy sites

The Palestinian authorities sent a warning to the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon calling on him "not to encroach on the Al-Aqsa mosque and other Moslem holy sites in the occupied Arab part of Jerusalem."

A statement to this effect was made public by the leadership of the Palestinian national administration following the session which was held last night in the city of Ramallah on the West Bank of the Jordan River. The statement underlines that "Sharon's address to the Israeli security services to look for safe access for Jews to the holy places is an encroachment on Moslem holy sites." The statement reads that the Palestinian leadership regards this as "a call to bloodshed and unheard-of anarchy and instability." The Palestinian authorities confirmed that the "Palestinian people will continue defending their holy sites and their very existence despite the occupation and the intensive growth of Israeli settlements." The Palestinian leadership called on the international community to immediately interfere in the conflict and put an end to all forms of the Israeli aggression aimed against the Palestinian people, its land and property. It is worth noting that Ariel Sharon himself provoked the present war between the Palestinians and Israelis by organising a provocative march to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem last fall which led to first clashes among Arabs and Jews. As a result, the Ehud Barak government was in effect overthrown and Ariel Sharon came to power.