Internationals pile in to stop MidEast violence
This may look dauntingly long but three of the items are in fact photos and a diagram. This is because it is not always clear what people are talking about when they say, eg, Al Aqsa Mosque. The natural plateau known as Haram Al-Sharif and Temple Mount is also known as Al Aqsa. There are two mosques on the site which is also being investigated as it is also believed it may have been the site of the first and second Jewish temples.
1) domeoftherock.net: Dome of the Rock mosque, photo plus caption;
2) Ma’an: Abbas demands ‘international protection’ during meeting with Kerry;
3) Al Aqsa mosque , photo of the southern and first of two mosques built on the Haram Al-Sharif site;
4) Jordan Times: King warns against change in Jerusalem status quo, King Abdullah warns Israel against tampering with the Islamic status of Al Aqsa, of which Jordan is custodian, and discusses possible UN intervention with Ban Ki-Moon.;
5) UN news centre: ‘We must turn back from this dangerous abyss,’ Ban says in Israel on first day of visit to crisis-torn region;
6) UN press release: Statement by Middle East Quartet, restraint, co-operation, predictable. Includes ;
7) map of Haram Al-Sharif/ Temple Mount;
8 -NY Times: Israel and Jordan Agree on Steps to Ease Jerusalem Tensions, Kerry Says;
[line above, pre aref]
Three news reports, Ma’an 1), Jordan Times 2) [Jordan is the custodian of the Haram al-Sharif site] and NY Times 5) sandwich press releases from the UN 3) and the Middle East Quartet 4) which includes an inset on Haram al-Sharif
“The Dome of the Rock mosque [above] … enshrines the rock from which Muḥammad is said to have ascended to heaven… It was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik between 687 and 691. The first domed shrine to be built, the Dome of the Rock is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. The octagonal plan and the rotunda dome of wood are of Byzantine design. The Persian tiles on the exterior and the marble slabs that decorate the interior were added by Suleiman I in 1561.” From Dome of the Rock. It is at the centre of Haram Al-Sharif / Temple Mount.
Abbas demands ‘international protection’ during meeting with Kerry
Ma’an news
October 24, 2015
BETHLEHEM — President Mahmoud Abbas demanded “international protection” for the occupied Palestinian territory during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Amman on Saturday.
PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat told Ma’an that Abbas was calling for international protection against “terrorist” acts by Israeli settlers, Israel’s “extrajudicial executions,” and punitive demolitions of homes belonging to suspected attackers’ families.
However, the exact nature of international protection, which Abbas earlier called for on Wednesday, was not specified.
Abbas told Kerry that “a political horizon” must be found that would include resolutions to the long-standing issues of Palestinian refugees, political prisoners, and the future of East Jerusalem, Erekat said.
Abbas also said that the division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound into Jewish and Muslim areas with specific visiting times was not an option — a position echoed by Jordanian King Abdullah II, who was also present at Saturday’s meeting.
During the meeting, the head of Palestinian intelligence, Majed Farraj, provided Kerry with documentation of Israeli violations against Palestinians, including at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Erekat said.
When Kerry asked Abbas about the wave of unrest that has swept the occupied Palestinian territory, including a series of stabbing attacks, Abbas told Kerry that young Palestinians were “angry, hopeless, and seeking independence and freedom.”
On Thursday, the Washington-based Al-Monitor reported that the Obama administration was cutting aid to the Palestinian Authority by $80 million as a “message” to Abbas.
The State Department reportedly notified US Congress on Sept. 25 that it would reduce its yearly assistance to the occupied Palestinian territory from $370 to $290 million following Israeli criticism of the “incitement” by the PA in recent weeks.
Discussions over Aqsa
Saturday’s meeting came shortly after Kerry met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During a four-hour meeting in Berlin on Thursday, Netanyahu told Kerry that the PA must issue a statement clarifying that Israel has not changed the “status quo” at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
“It is time for the international community to tell President Abbas to stop spreading lies that Israel wants to change the status quo or destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque,” Netanyahu reportedly said.
Tensions have flared at Al-Aqsa in recent months, with many Palestinians fearing that Israel wishes to renege on a longstanding agreement preventing non-Muslim prayer in the compound.
Jews are currently allowed to visit the mosque compound, but cannot pray there under an agreement made between Israel and the Islamic trust that controls the compound following Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
It is a highly sensitive issue for the Jordanian leadership as well, as Jordan has custodianship rights over Muslim holy places in Jerusalem under its 1994 peace treaty with Israel.
Large numbers of right-wing Jews toured the compound during a succession of Jewish holidays in September, in a provocation that triggered much of the unrest that has swept the occupied Palestinian territory this month.
While Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the “status quo” will not be changed, other senior Israeli officials — including cabinet ministers — have called for the Islamic holy site to be replaced with a third Jewish temple.
The Middle East Quartet is expected to convene on Friday to discuss issues regarding the holy compound.
North-east face of Al Aqsa mosque, known as al-Jami’ al-Aqsa amongst several Arabic names. . The mosque was built in 1035 after successive earthquakes had destroyed previous buildings, the first of which was constructed in the 7th century. The current mosque was built under the rule of Ali Az-Zāhir, the Seventh Caliph of the Fātimids (1021–1036). Photo by Andrew Shiva
King warns against change in Jerusalem status quo
From Jordan Times
October 23, 2015
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday highlighted the Jordanian role in defending Jerusalem in line with the Kingdom’s religious and historic duty and the Hashemite custodianship of the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.
At a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, His Majesty warned against any attempts to change the status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque and Al Haram Al Sharif, according to a Royal Court statement.
The King noted that reaching a comprehensive and just peace according to the two-state solution is the only exit from regional crises, a goal that requires all parties to exert their utmost efforts in support of achieving the envisioned solution.
For his part, the secretary general briefed the King on the outcome of his tour of Palestine and Israel, stressing the important Jordanian role and the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s holy sites, the statement added.
According to a UN statement, the UN chief “briefed the King about his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in which he appealed to them to put an end to the continuing violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel”.
His Majesty King Abdullah meets with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Amman on Thursday October 22nd. Photo courtesy of Royal Court
“The secretary general noted the responsibility of Arab leaders to encourage calm and to ensure that this crisis does not get out of control. He reiterated the importance of reducing tensions at the holy places in Jerusalem and called for upholding the status quo in line with previous understandings between Israel and Jordan, and with respect to Jordan’s special role.”
The UN official referred to the international community’s responsibility for reaching a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue.
Both sides also stressed that the lack of a vision for solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict increases tension, and is likely to inflame a religious war in the region and lead to worsening of a situation whose repercussions would affect all, according to the statement.
Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan also attended the meeting.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel at a press briefing in Jerusalem this week. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
‘We must turn back from this dangerous abyss,’ Ban says in Israel on first day of visit to crisis-torn region
UN News Centre
October 20, 2015
In an effort to ease the current tensions between Israel and Palestine, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is heading to the region to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas, as well as with other senior officials.
The UN chief arrived earlier today in Jerusalem and began by meeting with the President of Israel, Reuben Rivlin.
A statement issued earlier today by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson stressed that he “has repeatedly expressed his anguish and deep concern at the escalating violence in Israel and Palestine.”
A series of deadly clashes between Palestinians and Israelis, including Israeli security forces, has marked much of October, with violent incidents reported in more than 50 different locations, including in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus.
According to the statement, the Secretary-General is also expected to meet with Israeli and Palestinian victims of these recent hostilities and terror attacks.
Speaking to the press alongside President Rivlin, Mr. Ban thanked him for receiving him “so warmly and at such short notice.”
“My visit reflects the sense of global alarm at the dangerous escalation in violence between Israelis and Palestinians,” Mr. Ban declared. “I am here to encourage and support all efforts to lower tensions and prevent the situation from spinning out of control.”
The UN chief expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of all the victims of the hostilities and terrorist attacks. “No society should have to live in fear,” he said. “No society can afford to see its youth suffer in hopelessness.”
Mr. Ban stressed that if action is not taken fast, the dynamics on the ground may only get worse, “with serious repercussions in and beyond Israel and Palestine.”
“It is not too late to avoid a broader crisis,” he insisted. “In my meetings today and tomorrow with the Israeli and Palestinian leadership, I will be appealing to all to take concerted steps to limit new incidents on both sides. Violence only begets violence.”
He added that extremists on either side, or those who think violence is the answer, must not be allowed to further fuel the conflict.
“Beyond the immediate tensions, what is missing is the resolve to restore a political horizon for talks, and a political process that delivers real results and hope,” Mr. Ban noted. “Violence only undermines the legitimate Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the longing of Israelis for security.”
Underlining that “the status quo is only making things worse,” the Secretary-General stated that this conflict has gone on for far too long.
“We must, for the future of our children, turn back from this dangerous abyss, safeguard the two-state solution and lead people back onto the road towards peace,” he urged, adding that the UN, and himself as Secretary-General, will continue to support all efforts to create the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations and a just and lasting peace.
During his day in Israel, Mr. Ban also met with the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and said he understands the duty weighing on the Israeli leader to ensure that his citizens can enjoy safety and security. He also urged Israel to guard against violent incidents, and to conduct thorough investigations when necessary.
“Mr. Prime Minister, the security challenges your Government is currently facing raise many complicated dilemmas and may require tightening of security measures,” the UN chief said speaking again to the press.
“However, security measures can be counterproductive if they are applied without special efforts to defuse situations before people lose their lives. If the use of force is not properly calibrated, it may breed the very frustrations and anxieties, from which violence tends to erupt,” he continued.
Later, the Secretary-General had a meeting with Isaac Herzog, the leader of the Zionist Union party, and Tzipi Livni, a member of Parliament and former Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A read-out issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson in New York indicated that he expressed particular concern with the situation at Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount and the religious dispute over it, which has “serious repercussions not only for Israel and Palestine but throughout the region.”
Statement by Middle East Quartet
Press Release posted by UN
October 23, 2015
The following statement by the Middle East Quartet (United Nations, Russian Federation, United States, European Union) was issued today:
Representatives of the Quartet — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, United States Secretary of State John Kerry, European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (represented by United Nations Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov) — met in Vienna on 23 October.
The Quartet expresses grave concern over the continuing escalation of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. The Quartet condemns all acts of terror and violence against civilians.
Underscoring the urgent need to restore calm, the Quartet reiterates its call for maximum restraint and avoidance of provocative rhetoric and actions.
It encourages Israel to work together with Jordan to uphold the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem in both word and practice, recognizing the special role of Jordan as per its peace treaty with Israel.
Haram al-Sharif
“encloses over 35 acres of fountains, gardens, buildings and domes. At its southernmost end is Al-Aqsa Mosque and at its centre the celebrated Dome of the Rock. The entire area is regarded as a mosque and comprises nearly one sixth of the walled city of Jerusalem.” From Noble Sanctuary
[Haram means noble or high-born (as opposed to Haram, pron. haraam, which means the opposite, sinful) and al-Sharif means sanctuary.]
It is believed to be the site of the first and second temples, and since 2004 excavations have been going on under archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay.
Recalling its previous statements and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and recognizing that security measures alone cannot stop the cycle of violence, the Quartet calls for significant steps to be taken, consistent with the transition contemplated by prior agreements, in order to restore confidence and hope in the viability of a negotiated two-State solution that resolves the final status issues, including that of Jerusalem, and ends the occupation that began in 1967.
The Quartet reaffirms its strong commitment to act in coordination with regional and international stakeholders in an effort to stabilize the situation and to assure and actively support a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The Quartet Envoys will travel to the region in the coming period and engage directly with the parties to encourage them to take concrete actions, consistent with prior agreements, that demonstrate their genuine commitment to pursuing a two-State solution. The Quartet appreciates the willingness of the parties to co-operate with the Envoys in good faith.
U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry (L), and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a joint press conference in Berlin, Germany on October 22, 2015. The violence in the Middle East was the main topic on the agenda, along with the Syrian conflict. Photo by Bernd von Jutrczenka / EFE
Israel and Jordan Agree on Steps to Ease Jerusalem Tensions, Kerry Says
By Matthew Rosenberg, NY Times
October 24, 2015
AMMAN, Jordan — Seeking to end the latest round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that Israel and Jordan had agreed to take steps aimed at defusing tensions at one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites, the fate of which has been at the center of recent bloodshed.
Mr. Kerry said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel would announce later Saturday that Israel fully respects Jordan’s role as the custodian of the site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims. The Israeli leader was to say that his country would continue to enforce its own longstanding policy of worship at the site, where “it is Muslims who pray,” Mr. Kerry said, “and non-Muslims who visit.”
In addition, Israel had agreed to a suggestion made by King Abdullah II of Jordan that cameras be installed to provide 24-hour video access to the site, Mr. Kerry said. The Israelis and Jordanians would meet in coming days to work out the details, he said.
Mr. Kerry was in Amman on Saturday to meet with King Abdullah and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. He met with Mr. Netanyahu two days earlier in Berlin.
Mr. Kerry, in an appearance with the foreign minister of Jordan, Nasser Judeh, stressed that the work done over the past few days to find a way to calm tensions over the holy site was not an end in itself. It was equally important to find “a specific road forward so we’re not just ending violence for the moment but we’re creating a path to a legitimate future,” he said.
“Obviously we understand there are serious additional issues, security and otherwise, between Israelis and Palestinians that must be addressed,” Mr. Kerry said. “But we agreed that this is a first step toward creating some space” in order for broader issues to be addressed.
Mr. Judeh made the same point in his remarks, saying “the root cause is the need to have a Palestinian state that lives side by side with a secure Israel.”
He said his country would continue working with Israel to dampen tension over the site, and to find ways to restart a broader peace process.
After Mr. Kerry’s meeting with Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday, Israel announced that there would be no restrictions Friday on Muslim access to the compound or noon prayers, a contrast from the previous two weeks when, citing the rising violence, the police barred men under 40 or 50. The police said Friday’s prayers passed without incident.