Israeli Minister of internal security, Tzahi Hanegbi reiterated on Sunday his warnings about possible attacks against the Haram Al-Sharif plaza, by extreme Israeli Jewish groups.
According to Hanegbi, the attacks are expected to target the Aqsa Mosque and the Dom of the Rock in the plaza.
In a welcoming ceremony of the new Israeli Police Chief Moshe Karadi, Hanegbi said Police lacks the technology needed to guard the Haram Al-Sharif plaza in Jerusalem.
‘It requires tens of millions of Shekels to provide an efficient defensive security shield for the Temple Mount’ he said.
Hanegbi claimed he wrote twice to the Minister of Finance, Benjamin Netanyahu explaining the police need for this area, however there has been no positive response on allocating money for such purpose.
Israeli security source said the security establishment in Israel will discuss soon the possibility of preventing some leading figures in the Israeli ‘extreme right’ to enter Haram Al-Sharif and some other holy sites, based on Hanegbi’s warnings.
The source regarded these possible attacks as part of the attempts to foil the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s unilateral disengagement plan and the withdrawal from Gaza Strip’s settlements in particular.
The source said the police and the Shabak in cooperation with the ministry of Justice will attempt to obtain orders in which they can prevent some figures who called for destroying the Mosque and the Dom of the Rock claiming that they are built over the remains of Solomon’s temple.
Under an agreement with the Waqf Islamic Trust, the body responsible for the Islamic holy sites in the Holy Land, non-Muslims can tour the site, as long as they do not conduct public ceremonies, such as those intended by the Temple Mount Faithful, who want to rebuild the Temple. Traditionally, the police have denied the group entry to the plaza.
However, on various past occasions, some of the group members have managed to enter the plaza and riots have erupted as a result.
Hezbollah’s warning was not the only one issued. Dr. Ikrimeh Sabri, Sheikh of Jerusalem and Chair of the High Islamic Commission, warned against attacks against Moslems and Islamic holy sites, making special reference to the possible attack on the Aqsa Mosque.
The former chief of Shin Bet, Karmi Gilon told Israel Radio, ‘If the right wing in Israel would do such an attack against the temple mount, the chances are that the entire Islamic world and millions of Iranians would be mobilized to attack Israel which could be the end of the State of Israel.’
‘There should be limits to the game; people must understand the importance of keeping the Aqsa Mosque out of this game. The police and the security forces should do everything possible including administrative detention to prevent such a plot to be implemented,’ Gilon added, saying the Shabak and the police clearly understand that if one stone drops form the Dome of the Rock, it will kill with it forever any chance for peace in this region.
