PA continues to blame Israel for 1969 Al-Aqsa Mosque arson

The Fatah Commission of Information and Culture posted a video on its Facebook page

Visual:

The video, which features the logo of Fatah-run Awdah TV in the upper right corner, shows images from the 1969 Al-Aqsa Mosque arson.

Text on screen: “The 1969 Al-Aqsa Mosque arson

On Aug. 21, 1969, an Australian extremist named Michael Denis (i.e., an Australian Christian with a mental health disorder) broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Bani Ghanim Gate.

He set the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s Southern Mosque (i.e., the Al-Aqsa Mosque itself) on fire.

The fire was set on the margins of the mosque, on its roof, and on its decorations. The flames eliminated all of its contents. The flames also eliminated the Saladin [Al-Ayyubi] pulpit.

The occupation collaborated and stopped the water to the Al-Aqsa Mosque; it also delayed in sending fire trucks (sic., Israeli firefighters – who eventually put out the fire and not Palestinians – arrived within minutes but rioting Muslims interfered with their work and broke the only fire hydrant at the site; PMW found no evidence for claims that Israel cut off the water).

[Palestinian] civilians hurried to put out the flames while vehicles were coming from Ramallah and from the distant cities, before the fire trucks reached Jerusalem.

The occupation forces arrested the arsonist but released him afterwards on the claim that he was crazy.

The restoration work continued on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque until 1986.

The iron pulpit remained in its place until it was replaced in 2006 with a donated pulpit in the shape of the Saladin [Al-Ayyubi] pulpit, which the flames completely destroyed.”

[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Aug. 21, 2023]

Michael Rohan - Australian Christian with a mental health disorder who set fire to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969. For years, the Palestinian Authority has falsely accused Israel of setting the fire.