Building 'Hurva' Synagogue ‘a Declaration of War’; Hamas Announces 'Day of Rage'

[Robert Bandanza]

16/03/2010 Israel has opened so-called “Hurva” synagogue (Ruin Synagogue) in occupied East Jerusalem (al-Quds) in a move backed by the United States, igniting angry protests by Palestinians in the holy city and elsewhere in the occupied West Bank.

Hamas announced Tuesday a "day of rage" following a day of Israeli building of the synagogue around 700 meters from the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Qud's Old City, and considered the construction as “a declaration of war” because of its direct threat to the holy site. The Israeli building for the synagogue is as part of a project to destruct al-Aqsa Mosue and build the Israeli claimed “Solomon's Temple” in its place.

Large Israeli occupation forces continued to be deployed throughout the occupied city, with 3,000 Israeli occupation police and border police officers stationed in occupied Jerusalem and neighboring villages as hundreds of Palestinians clashed with the occupation police early Tuesday amid heightened religious tension in the Holy City.

Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at protesters in the Shuafat refugee camp who hurled rocks at occupation security forces.

In a video message to the opening ceremony, where Israeli politicians and chief rabbis were in attendance, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu claimed that the synagogue brought a message of religious coexistence. "We permit believers of other faiths to conserve their places of worship. We proudly protect our heritage, while at the same time allowing others freedom of religion," he said.

Netanyahu’s speech came while Palestinian men under the age of 50 were barred from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound for a fourth day and will continue for the fifth day. Members of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee are set to hold a procession in the east of the city on Wednesday.

Israeli Housing Minister Ariel Atias used the occasion to stress construction in Jerusalem will continue. "We have thousands of housing units in 2010, and no government has allowed a dialogue about the right to build in Jerusalem," the Israeli minister said.

Palestinians both in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip joined to condemn the Israeli move.

Head of al-Quds international institution, Dr. Ahmed Abu Halabiya, warned the reopening of the synagogue in al-Quds was part of an Israeli plan "to build a Jewish temple on al-Aqsa ruins."

Head of the Hamas political bureau Khaled Mashaal slammed Tel Aviv's "falsification of history," saying, "We warn against this action by the Zionist enemy to rebuild and dedicate the Hurva synagogue. It signifies the destruction of al-Aqsa mosque and the building of the temple," he said from the Syrian capital, Damascus.

In a statement, issued at a meeting of leaders of Palestinian groups, Mashaal called the ceremony "a falsification of history and Jerusalem's religious and historic monuments". "Israel is playing with fire and touching off the first spark to make the region explode," he said.

Mashaal described Zionist historical stories in this regard as mere legends that had no basis and were circulated to justify the confiscation of Islamic holy shrines and to change the landmarks of occupied Jerusalem.

Hamas asked the Arab and Islamic governments to assume their duties in protecting Al-Quds and the Aqsa Mosque. The movement also asked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his entourage to end the futile negotiations with the Israeli occupation government and to return to the Palestinian lines to confront the occupation and its schemes.

Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahhar leveled scathing criticism, replete with anti-Semitic rhetoric. "You who are opening Hurva are heading towards ruin. Wherever you have been you've been sent to your destruction. You've killed and murdered your prophets and you have always dealt in loan-sharking and destruction," he said Monday, during a conference of Palestinian groups in Gaza.

"You're destined to be destroyed. You've made a deal with the devil and with destruction itself – just like your synagogue," al-Zahhar said.

The Hamas figure called on Palestinians everywhere to observe five moments of silence "for Israel's disappearance and to identify with Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque".

Al-Zahhar urged the Arab world to respond to "Israel's crimes and protect the sites that are holy to Muslims and Christians from the Zionists' racist onslaught".

At the conclusion of his address, the Hamas figure called on the Palestinian Authority not to negotiate with Israel, adding "the resistance movements must prepare for the liberation of all of Palestine and for the return of the refugees to their homes."

Moreover, Political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet Al-Resheq has described the Israeli construction of the synagogue as a "declaration of war" because of its direct threat to the holy site.

He added that the synagogue serves as a cornerstone for the judaization of Jerusalem, warning in a press release on Monday the Israeli occupation authority of the repercussions of the aggressive policy against Jerusalem and the Aqsa.

Resheq affirmed that the Aqsa Mosque is a red line and any Israeli attempt to cross that line would explode the Islamic anger.

Hatem Abdel Qader, the Palestinian Authority's official in charge of al-Quds affairs, expressed concern over what he described as "not just a synagogue." "This synagogue will be a prelude to violence, extremism and religious fanaticism, and that will not be limited to extremist Jews but includes members of the Israeli government," he warned.

"We warn against this action by the Zionist enemy to rebuild and dedicate the Hurva synagogue. It signifies the destruction of the al-Aqsa mosque and the building of the temple."

The US State Department, however, criticized Palestinian comments for "mischaracterizing the event in question, which can only serve to heighten the tensions we see."

The US support for the opening of the synagogue raises serious questions over a purported dispute between Tel Aviv and Washington over the continued Israeli settlement construction. Some analysts argue that the ostensible tensions are to provide a cover for Israel's encroach upon Palestinian and Islamic identity of al-Quds.

http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/N...53&language=en

[Robert Bandanza]

Israel has reopened a synagogue in East Jerusalem (al-Quds) in a move backed by the US, igniting angry protests by Palestinians in the holy city and elsewhere in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took pride in the reopening of the Hurva synagogue, around 700 meters from the al-Aqsa Mosque in al-Qud's Old City, as part of Israel's "heritage."

"We permit believers of other faiths to conserve their places of worship. We proudly protect our heritage, while at the same time allowing others freedom of religion," he said in a video message.

But Palestinians both in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip joined to condemn the move which came amid highly stepped up security and the deployment of thousands of Israeli soldiers in Muslims' third holy city of al-Quds.

Head of al-Quds international institution, Dr. Ahmed Abu Halabiya, warned the reopening of Hurva synagogue in al-Quds was part of an Israeli plan "to build a Jewish temple on al-Aqsa ruins."

Head of the Hamas political bureau Khaled Meshaal slammed Tel Aviv's "falsification of history," saying, "Israel is playing with fire and touching off the first spark to make the region explode."

Hatem Abdel Qader, the Palestinian Authority's official in charge of al-Quds affairs, expressed concern over what he described as "not just a synagogue."

"This synagogue will be a prelude to violence, extremism and religious fanaticism, and that will not be limited to extremist Jews but includes members of the Israeli government," he warned.

"We warn against this action by the Zionist enemy to rebuild and dedicate the Hurva synagogue. It signifies the destruction of the al-Aqsa mosque and the building of the temple."

The US State Department, however, criticized Palestinian comments for "mischaracterizing the event in question, which can only serve to heighten the tensions we see."

Monday's reopening ceremony, which Netanyahu said symbolized religious coexistence, came while Palestinian men under the age of 50 along with non-Muslims were barred from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound for a fourth day following clashes between the police and Palestinians.

Hamas on Tuesday announced a "day of rage" in response to the dedication of the restored synagogue in East al-Quds, promoting a red alert warning from Israeli officials who deployed some 3,000 troops in the area.

The US support for the controversial reopening of the synagogue raises serious questions over a purported dispute between Tel Aviv and Washington over the continued Israeli settlement construction.

Some analysts argue that the ostensible tensions are to provide a cover for Israel's encroach upon Palestinian and Islamic identity of East al-Quds, long demanded by Palestinians as the capital city of their future Palestinian state.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id...onid=351020202