Jewish extremists call for replacement of Al-Aqsa mosque with third temple

Israel media publish, retract, then confirm calls for destruction of Al-Aqsa, “cleansing” of Israel’s “enemies”

By Ali Abunimah, electronic,intifada
10.02.12

Before this post was first published, Israeli media had reported claims that Moshe Feiglin, a Likud Leader, was planning to go up to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem to call for the destruction of the mosque and its replacement with a Jewish “Third Temple.”

The basis for these reports was a flyer announcing the rally.

Israel’s Channel 10, which carried one of the initial reports, however deleted its report. Update 1 to this post published Friday explained these developments as soon as they became apparent, including a denial from Feiglin that he had anything to do with the flyers.

However, on Sunday morning, it became clear from Israeli media that the flyers were real, even if Feiglin denied a role in distributing them. Because of the flyers, Israeli police prevented Feiglin and his supporters from going to Al-Aqsa. Feiglin had never denied he intended to go there, only that he had a role in the flyer. Following Sunday’s incident, Feiglin issued a statement reaffirming his calls for Israel to control the Al-Aqsa compound on behalf of the “Jewish nation.”

The Hebrew edition of Ynet reported (my translation):

“A Jerusalem police official explained: Feiglin’s people going up to the Temple Mount is nothing new and happens almost every month. The difference this time is spreading calls through the media to “cleanse the place of the enemies of Israel.”

The Ynet English edition states:

“The flyers found near the compound reads: “Member of the Likud Caucus, along with its thousands of members, headed by Moshe Feiglin are hereby invited to arrive at Temple Mount and praise God, and declare that healthy leadership begins with total control over Temple Mount”.

More details of what happened on Sunday morning in Update 2 [original post].

Feiglin’s 12 February statement calls for Israeli “sovereignty” over Al-Aqsa

Following the police preventing Feiglin and his followers going to Al-Aqsa, Feiglin issued a statement reasserting his denial of involvement in the flyers which he termed “incitement.” However he also reaffirmed his position that Israel must control the Al-Aqsa compound:

“The real story here is not the incitement, but the fact that Israel’s police force is scared off by any shadow of Islamic threat, proving that the Temple Mount is truly not in our hands. When the heart of our Nation is not in our hands, the blood flow to the other organs is interrupted and gangrene begins to set in in places like Sderot and Be’er Sheva, quickly spreading to our sovereignty throughout Israel.

“It is important to continue to knock on the gates of the Temple Mount and to restore our sovereignty to this holiest of places to the Jewish Nation.Everyone who ascends the Mount adds another slice of sovereignty in Israel’s heart and health throughout our nation.”

Calls for Third Temple on Al-Aqsa not new

Whoever was the author of the flyer, the latest call for the destruction of Al-Aqsa is nothing new. A number of Israeli groups work openly for the destruction of Al-Aqsa and its replacement with a Jewish temple. The Temple Mount Faithful, for example, declares on its website:

“The goal of the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement is the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in our lifetime in accordance with the Word of G-d and all the Hebrew prophets and the liberation of the Temple Mount from Arab (Islamic) occupation so that it may be consecrated to the Name of G-d.”

The Temple Institute is another Israeli organization dedicated to the same goal. For these reasons it is is critically important to track Israeli calls for the destruction of Al-Aqsa.

As noted below [go to original] , the Israeli army rabbinate’s publication of an image of the Temple Mount in late 2011 lacking the Dome of the Rock helps push this agenda into the Zionist “mainstream.” As also noted, the work of groups like Ateret Cohanim, supported by Benjamin Netanyahu are part of this disturbing trend. But please read all this information thoroughly and don’t use it to spread rumors about imminent or ongoing events for which there is no evidence.