Arafat's Mufti Sets Stage to Blame Israel for Temple Mount Collapse

The Lekarav Report

18 February 2004

The Arafat appointed general Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, laid the groundwork to blame Israel in the event of a major collapse of the Temple Mount.
Speaking to WAFA news agency, Sheikh Sabri said that the Israeli excavation works around this ancient area have been endangering the structure of Islamic sites there, and that Palestinians have always objected to such excavations, knowing beforehand its grave consequences. The TRUTH is that for years the PA controlled Waqf has been carrying out massive excavations on the Temple Mount for their own construction purposes. It is their work that has jeopardized the structural integrity of the Temple Mount in addition to destroying artifacts from the Jewish Second Temple.

"If the earthquake that happened few days ago has passed peacefully, we are still afraid that the next one would be much stronger, which will mean that the structure of the Al Aqsa Mosque might not withstand such an earthquake, due to the discharge of soil around its foundations," Sheikh Sabri said, and making clear that the Islamic council would hold Israel responsible for any current or future collapses.

Sheikh Sabri called on the Arab and Islamic states to swiftly intervene and protect the Al Aqsa Mosque, as well as other Islamic holy sites, from being meddled with. (Is this a not-so-veiled call for more violence???) He explained that the key of the "Dung Gate" was taken by the Israeli forces in 1967, and has been in their possession ever since, despite frequent demands of returning it to the Ministry of Waqf and Islamic Affairs.