Saturday, May 21, 2005
Nine Israelis in plot vs. mosque
Nine Jewish extremists planned to attack Islam's holy Al Aqsa Mosque in two separate plots to blow up the Mideast peace process, Israeli authorities revealed yesterday.
The alleged plotters were arrested more than a month ago but released without formal charges - a move that has outraged Arab and Palestinian leaders.
The mosque is the Muslim world's third-holiest shrine and is built atop the Temple Mount, sacred to Jews as the ancient site of Solomon's Temple.
Israeli Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said the plots were "not serious" and that the men involved, including several members of the ultra-Orthodox Bratslav Hasidic movement, never had the means to see the violence through.
But at the same time, investigators did say the men:
Planned to fire an anti-tank missile at the mosque from the roof of a nearby yeshiva in Jerusalem's old city.
Talked of attacking Israeli security forces with grenades - and then committing suicide.
Contacted underworld figures to buy a missile but didn't have the money.
The men were released after prosecutors determined that - in the absence of finding weapons, or evidence that the plot was ever going to be realized - the suspects could not be convicted.
"The Arabs will think people really want to destroy the Temple Mount," Ezra said.
"There are no indictments because there was no crime," he added. "If it were serious, would they have been released? The whole story is exaggerated."
But Arab and Palestinian leaders were flabbergasted that the Jewish extremists were let go.
"The entire world must hold Israel fully responsible for any attack on mosques, which may ignite the entire region," said Hatem Abdel Kader, a Palestinian Legislative Council member.
He also alleged that the extremists "are supported by a large sector of the Israeli security establishment and army" and demanded the UN Security Council meet to discuss the threats to the mosque.
"They say they are dealing with it, but what does that mean?" asked Abdel-Malik Dehamsheh, an Arab member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament. "Will they 'deal with it' until the first missile hits and then say, 'Sorry, we were dealing with it but we messed up?'"
Investigators say the catalyst for the right-wing Jewish extremists is Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to shut down Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
One of the suspects, Avtalion Kadosh, even declared he wanted to "create a third intifadeh and a war with Arab countries," investigators alleged.
Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan sparked massive protests around Israel yesterday. Thousands of Israelis blocked main highways and burned tires to protest the plan. At least 300 people were arrested.
Nine Jewish extremists planned to attack Islam's holy Al Aqsa Mosque in two separate plots to blow up the Mideast peace process, Israeli authorities revealed yesterday.
The alleged plotters were arrested more than a month ago but released without formal charges - a move that has outraged Arab and Palestinian leaders.
The mosque is the Muslim world's third-holiest shrine and is built atop the Temple Mount, sacred to Jews as the ancient site of Solomon's Temple.
Israeli Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said the plots were "not serious" and that the men involved, including several members of the ultra-Orthodox Bratslav Hasidic movement, never had the means to see the violence through.
But at the same time, investigators did say the men:
Planned to fire an anti-tank missile at the mosque from the roof of a nearby yeshiva in Jerusalem's old city.
Talked of attacking Israeli security forces with grenades - and then committing suicide.
Contacted underworld figures to buy a missile but didn't have the money.
The men were released after prosecutors determined that - in the absence of finding weapons, or evidence that the plot was ever going to be realized - the suspects could not be convicted.
"The Arabs will think people really want to destroy the Temple Mount," Ezra said.
"There are no indictments because there was no crime," he added. "If it were serious, would they have been released? The whole story is exaggerated."
But Arab and Palestinian leaders were flabbergasted that the Jewish extremists were let go.
"The entire world must hold Israel fully responsible for any attack on mosques, which may ignite the entire region," said Hatem Abdel Kader, a Palestinian Legislative Council member.
He also alleged that the extremists "are supported by a large sector of the Israeli security establishment and army" and demanded the UN Security Council meet to discuss the threats to the mosque.
"They say they are dealing with it, but what does that mean?" asked Abdel-Malik Dehamsheh, an Arab member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament. "Will they 'deal with it' until the first missile hits and then say, 'Sorry, we were dealing with it but we messed up?'"
Investigators say the catalyst for the right-wing Jewish extremists is Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to shut down Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
One of the suspects, Avtalion Kadosh, even declared he wanted to "create a third intifadeh and a war with Arab countries," investigators alleged.
Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan sparked massive protests around Israel yesterday. Thousands of Israelis blocked main highways and burned tires to protest the plan. At least 300 people were arrested.
Comments:
I saw the same thing. I was struck by the irony of the Palestinian reaction to the plotters' being released.
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