Fatah official: There was never a Jewish Temple
Official PA TV program State of Politics, hosting Fatah Commissioner of International Relations and Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Shaath
Fatah Commissioner of International Relations and Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Shaath: (Refers to news from the same morning – Aug. 14, 2016 – according to which hundreds of Israelis entered the Temple Mount under the protection of Israeli forces –Ed.) “This is an Israeli plan that is based on a myth. What is here and what was here is the Al-Aqsa Mosque, there is no other Temple here. The Israelis do not state in their religion that there is a Temple here. This Temple will come from Heaven when God permits it to them…
For some time they are acting to implement a division by times and areas at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Jerusalem Noble Sanctuary (i.e., Temple Mount) in general. A few days ago the Israeli police entered the Dome of the Rock in order to say: ‘Take this down, put that down, and how are you carrying out repairs without my permission?’ This is a real and complete blow and we cannot ignore it. We have a responsibility and we must act. There were calls to carry out Ribat (i.e., religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic) within the Noble Sanctuary and there are calls for an organized popular operation to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The PA and its leaders consider all of the Temple Mount an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore they view any presence of Jews on the mount as an "attack." It should be noted that Jews who visit the Temple Mount only enter some sections of the open areas, and do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock.
"Division according to areas and times" refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount, what the Palestinians call the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza. The law seeks to designate separate prayer times and areas of the site for Muslims and Jews. However, Israeli PM Netanyahu has stated on many occasions that the Israeli government has no intention of changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, which means Jews are allowed to enter the Temple Mount, but cannot pray there or engage in any type of worship.
Fatah Commissioner of International Relations and Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Shaath: (Refers to news from the same morning – Aug. 14, 2016 – according to which hundreds of Israelis entered the Temple Mount under the protection of Israeli forces –Ed.) “This is an Israeli plan that is based on a myth. What is here and what was here is the Al-Aqsa Mosque, there is no other Temple here. The Israelis do not state in their religion that there is a Temple here. This Temple will come from Heaven when God permits it to them…
For some time they are acting to implement a division by times and areas at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Jerusalem Noble Sanctuary (i.e., Temple Mount) in general. A few days ago the Israeli police entered the Dome of the Rock in order to say: ‘Take this down, put that down, and how are you carrying out repairs without my permission?’ This is a real and complete blow and we cannot ignore it. We have a responsibility and we must act. There were calls to carry out Ribat (i.e., religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic) within the Noble Sanctuary and there are calls for an organized popular operation to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The PA and its leaders consider all of the Temple Mount an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore they view any presence of Jews on the mount as an "attack." It should be noted that Jews who visit the Temple Mount only enter some sections of the open areas, and do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock.
"Division according to areas and times" refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount, what the Palestinians call the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza. The law seeks to designate separate prayer times and areas of the site for Muslims and Jews. However, Israeli PM Netanyahu has stated on many occasions that the Israeli government has no intention of changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, which means Jews are allowed to enter the Temple Mount, but cannot pray there or engage in any type of worship.