David Parsons, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
August 9, 2004

Some 15,000 Muslims associated with the radical Islamic Movement in Israel staged a provocative rally on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Saturday amid reports that Israel has quietly placed Jordan back in charge of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque.

Arguably the most sensitive piece of real estate on the planet, the Temple Mount compound has again become a source of major concern in recent months, as Israeli authorities deal with bulges in the ancient retaining walls that threaten to collapse and police warn of Jewish extremists bent on provoking an incident at the site -- either of which would convulse the Islamic world.

To reduce tensions, Israel barred non-Muslims from entering the Mount over the weekend.

But the Muslim activists showed no such sense of caution, rallying under the banner "Al-Aqsa in Danger" -- the same worn-out mantra used at the annual gathering for several years running. A large number of children were bused in for the event, while affiliated protests were held at other sites around Israel deemed important to Muslims.

The head of the Islamic Movement’s more radical northern branch, Sheikh Raed Salah, is imprisoned on charges of funneling money to Hamas, but he made an appearance by letter warning: "The missile that may destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque may destroy with it many other things."

His deputy, Sheikh Kamel Hatib insisted that "the government of Israel will be responsible for any attack" on mosques in Jerusalem.

The remarks were prompted in part by the recent statements of Public Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi, that a core group of Jewish extremists might launch an attack on the site in order to derail the disengagement plan from Gaza.

However, Israeli President Moshe Katsav described Saturday’s Muslim protest as "very irresponsible" and "a dangerous incitement that is bound to fuel a large fire," Army Radio reported.

Meanwhile, important developments concerning the Temple Mount have been taking place under most radar screens, with a new briefing paper out of the Jerusalem-based think-tank The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) claiming that Israel has managed to dislodge the Palestinian Authority from its toehold on the Mount and to restore the Jordanian royal family as custodian of the Muslim shrines there.

Citing Israel Television Channel One reports in July and other sources, the JCPA document, entitled "The Expulsion of the Palestinian Authority from Jerusalem and the Temple Mount," compiled by journalist Dan Diker, traces recent behind-the-scenes efforts by Israel to end the PA's penetration of eastern Jerusalem and its hijacking of the Muslim Waqf (trust) on the Temple Mount, restoring Jordanian religious administration of what Muslims call the Haram al-Sharif, or "Noble Sanctuary."

The Center’s paper says the expulsion of the PA from Jerusalem is the culmination of years of activity by Israeli security forces, which intensified in 2002 with arrests and expulsions of Palestinian security agents in Jerusalem's Old City and the closure of Orient House, freeing Arab residents from years of murder, kidnapping, and extortion.

Jordan (and Egypt to an extent) was then granted a very public, central role in repairing bulges in the Temple Mount’s outer walls, caused by the hasty construction of an underground mosque by the PA-controlled Waqf and its partner in the project, the Islamic Movement.

In keeping with its 1994 peace treaty with Jordan, Israel has restored King Abdullah II and the Hashemite dynasty -- which claims direct descent from the Prophet Mohammed -- to their traditional role as guardian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

This includes removing the PA-appointed Mufti of Jerusalem, the firebrand Sheikh Sabri Ekrima, and restoring Jordanian appointee Adnan Husseini to his former office. This seems to have been accomplished with little outcry, since even during the past decade of PA encroachment in Jerusalem and its hostile takeover of the Waqf, Jordan continued to pay the salaries of most Waqf employees.

Apparently, some Arab states have come to share Israel's concern that PA leader Yasser Arafat was exploiting the Temple Mount fissure to stir up pan-Islamic anger at Israel and destabilize the region. The recent moves send a clear message that Arafat is not acceptable to the Arab world as the custodian of Islam's third holiest shrine, according to the JCPA paper. It may also signal that Amman may be the address for resolving other issues with the Palestinian population, in light of the chaotic state of the PA, it concludes.

These developments do not mark a full return to the status quo prior to 1996, but since August 2003 the Temple Mount compound has been reopened to Jewish and Christian vistors under limited conditions, and the ramp to the Mughrabi Gate is currently undergoing major improvements that signal Israel is determined to keep the site open to all in the long run.

To review the JCPA briefing paper, "The Expulsion of the Palestinian Authority from Jerusalem and the Temple Mount," click here.