Israel’s zealots pouring fuel on the fire


If you ask the Israelis, it is the Palestinian extremists who are trying to stir up trouble at the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest Islamic site in the world. But when you look at the real picture you see, in fact, that it is Israeli zealots who are trying to rally support to occupy the compound and start excavations to unearth what they hope will be Solomon's Temple.For the first time in 47 years ever since Israel occupied the whole of Jerusalem, 300 Israeli soldiers entered the compound, trampling on everything with their boots, a simple sign of disrespect. They were allegedly storming the mosque compound to intervene against Palestinians protesting Jewish designs around the compound, known as the Temple Mount.Israel has unfortunately opened Pandora's Box by fully closing down the compound for the first time in 14 years last week and creating incredible friction between Jews and Muslims. A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the move was "tantamount to a declaration of war."The closure of the compound was ordered by Israel last Thursday after anti-terrorist police shot and killed a 32-year-old Palestinian who allegedly tried to kill a far right Jewish activist or simply a zealot.Al-Aqsa Mosque has been closed and opened on and off creating more divisions between Jews and Muslims. It is no secret that the Israeli government is being run by the far right and thus they are more inclined to appease the zealots. Yet they have to understand that while building Jewish settlements on Palestinian land is an unacceptable step, which clearly hurts peace and any possibility of reconciliation between Israel and Palestinians, toying round with Al-Aqsa Mosque is on open invitation for an all-out confrontation between Jews and Muslims. What is sad is that once again Turks will rise to the occasion and declare their anger openly in very clear terms, they will warn Israel of the consequences and try to rally international support on Jewish efforts to change the status of A-Aqsa Mosque compound while our Arab brothers try to look the other way to make token gestures voicing some indignation and nothing else.We are aware that there are sensible people in Israel who want peace and tranquility in their lands and feel that what their government is doing is wrong. So all we can say is that someone has to push some sense into these Jewish zealots who are as dangerous as Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham extremists.