Could a simple walkway be the cause of the next Middle Eastern war?
Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Wednesday issued a ruling prohibiting the head of the Islamic Movement Northern Branch, Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, from approaching Jerusalem's Old City for ten days.
Salah and six other people were detained after what police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld called a "brawl" with officers guarding the construction site.
Salah and the head of the Jerusalem Supreme Muslim Council Ikrima Sabri called this week for all Muslims in Israel to flock to the Temple Mount complex to prevent Israel from actions that they say are meant to destroy the Mugrabi Gate.
Islamic Movement deputy chief Kamel Hatib said that holding up Salah for questioning is "a provocative act, the purpose of which is only retaliation."
[...]
Also Wednesday, the Justice Ministry said it is reviewing the legality of the building permit issued by the Licensing Authority in Jerusalem for the construction of the Mugrabi bridge walkway that serves as the primary entrance to the Mount. The investigation is expected to be completed next week.
The Justice Ministry said that "even if it is decided that is was not appropriate to issue a permit to construct the bridge based on the building program currently in place, there are no obstacles to advance a new program for building the bridge."
The Israel Antiquities Authority said the ongoing work is not being conducted on the basis of a building permit, but rather the excavation represents a "rescue operation" which is expected to last several months and does not require a permit.
The Hadash and Balad party factions passed no-confidence motions on the government in response to the excavations.
This situation is fast evolving into a major source of conflict in the region:
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas warned Tuesday that the work was likely to endanger regional peace efforts, Israel Radio reported.
He said the excavation demonstrated Israel's intentions to destroy holy Islamic sites, the radio said.
Jordan's King Abdullah II said Tuesday that the excavation has led to a dangerous rise in Middle East tensions and could derail the revival of Arab-Israeli peace talks.
"What Israel is doing in its practices and attacks against our sacred Muslim sites in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa is a blatant violation that is not acceptable under any pretext," the state news agency Petra quoted the monarch as saying.
"These measures will only create an atmosphere that will not at all help in the success of efforts being undertaken to restore the peace process," Abdullah said.
[...]
MK Talab El-Sana (United Arab List) cautioned Tuesday that the excavations were likely to ignite a third intifada, that will include protests and conflict throughout the Arab and Muslim world.
And, as if that wasn't enough to destabilize the region even more, the IDF has fired shells into Lebanon:
Israel Defense Forces troops fired warning shells late Wednesday at Lebanese Army positions across their shared frontier, after Lebanese troops fired light weapons at IDF tanks north of the border fence, although still inside sovereign Israeli territory.
IDF troops issued a warning to the Lebanese forces in the wake of the initial incident, and a short time later fired shells at the Lebanese position, opposite Moshav Avivim.
There are no reports of IDF casualties, but initial reports indicate there may be injuries on the Lebanese side.
Just what is Olmert's government doing? Does he want a regional war? Is Olmert so utterly incapable of understanding the effects of his policies that he would provoke the entire Arab world to rally against his country?
I think Bradley Burston hits the nail on the head:
In the depth of their incompetence, their inability to learn from experience, their jittery insecurity over lack of military background, Olmert and Bush have merged into a force of dangerous impotence.
Together, they have given new meaning to the concept of non-partisanship: no one wants them. In either party. With critical decisions to be made, with the lives of large numbers of soldiers and civilians weighing in the balance, they do as little as possible, change as little as possible, lead as little as possible.
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