Mideast: Israel occupied the Temple Mount

PRAVDA.Ru already published that in response to the act of terrorism resulted in 20 victims Israel had introduced the troops on the territories controlled by Palestinian Authority. Despite the resistance of Palestinians, Arafat’s residence was taken by storm.

Al Jazeera TV channel reports, Israeli soldiers have rushed in Arafat’s headquarters and started firing. An official from the Palestinian administration says, Arafat’s life is in danger. Besides, Israeli soldiers have occupied the building where editorial offices of foreign mass media used to be located. A cameraman from Egyptian television was wounded during the operation.

The way the situation is developing now can not be averted. The Hamas leader calls upon all Palestinian organizations to unite against Jewish aggression and organize a massacre of St. Bartholomew for Israel.

An explosion sounded in a Jerusalem supermarket Friday afternoon. According to the provisional data, three people at least were killed in the explosion and 23 wounded. Condition of two people is the gravest.

The Al Aqsa Brigades, recently blacklisted by Washington, claimed responsibility for the act of terrorism.

Armed conflicts between the Israeli army and Palestinians occur in other towns as well. Israeli police stormed Mideast’s most disputed sacred site, the area of Al Aksa Mosque in the old city of Jerusalem, today. In response to Palestinians’ stone attack near the Al Aksa mosque right after the Friday prayer the police used noise grenades and rushed into the square. Now the area before the mosque is occupied by police. However, the stone attack has not stopped. Associated Press reports, one Israeli policeman was slightly wounded. The square is well-known as Haram-as-Sharif to Muslims, two large mosques Al Aksa and Omar mosque are situated there. Muslims revere it as the site from where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The Muslim temples were built on the Temple Mount, atop the ruins of the biblical Jewish Temples.

We remember perfectly well, when the Palestinian intifada started, but hardly remember the original reason for the current Arab-Israeli conflict. Incumbent Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon had climbed the Temple Mount, that was treated as a deadly insult for Palestinians. A war started once again in the Middle East. Israeli have insulted Arabs once again by occupation of the Islamic sacred sites. Sharon’s another mistake may become a fatal one.

Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/29/39016.html