Muslims mobilise against al-Aqsa walkway repair works
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Israeli police have been deployed in front of one of the entry points to al-Aqsa Mosque compound to face possible Muslim demonstrations against work to repair a walkway over an ancient mound.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Jerusalem Mufti Mohammad Hussein, and Islamic Courts President Tayssir Al-Tamim urged Palestinians to rush to the compound to defend the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Jordan's King Abdullah, who considers himself protector of the compound, warned Israel against “any attack on Islamic sites” in the city of Jerusalem.
According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, repair work is needed to restore a walkway leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque damaged by a snow storm two years ago. Wooden support beams should be replaced with concrete pillars. For this to be done bulldozers are removing a mound near the Mughrabi Gate, traditionally used by worshippers on their way to the Wailing Wall rather than those going to the al-Aqsa Mosque.
For Islamic religious authorities, the action threatens to weaken the esplanade’s foundations. They say that under the mound there are two underground rooms and that the whole thing is part of an Israeli plan to “Judaise” Jerusalem.
“The occupation bulldozers are headed to destroy the historic route from Dung [al-Mughrabi] Gate,” al-Tamimi said in appeal on al-Jazeera satellite TV.
He urged Palestinians to immediately head to al-Aqsa mosque to “protect” the site from the Israelis.
Palestinian PM Haniyeh of Hamas appealed “to all our Palestinian people to be united and to rise up together to protect al-Aqsa.”
In Gaza Islamic Jihad claimed a rocket attack on Israel “"in response to the criminal Zionist aggression against the Al Aqsa mosque.”
For its part, Israeli police is only allowing access to men over 45 and to women.
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