Israel playing with fire: UAE paper

Israel playing with fire: UAE paper

ABU DHABI, 23rd September, 2015 (WAM)--Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ warning about the risk of an Intifada is based on sound reasoning in the light of non-stop Israeli aggression, particularly the attacks against Al Aqsa mosque and worshippers and the Israeli scheme to divide the mosque temporally and spatially.

"With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusing to put an end to the chaos at the flashpoint holy site, what is happening at present is indeed very dangerous, as Abbas points out," said English language local daily, The Gulf Today, in its editorial on Wednesday.

"The fears of Muslims that the rules governing the compound would be changed are not unfounded as there has been an alarming increase in visits by Jews to the site," it added.

Adding to the chaos is the Israel’s adamant refusal to end settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and return to the negotiating table.

France had previously hoped to promote a Security Council resolution that would set negotiating parameters and establish a time frame, possibly 18 months, to complete the talks.

However, the idea had to be put on the back burner due to lack of support from the United States, Israel’s closest ally.

The latest provocation was ignited on Aug.26 by Israel when it placed sweeping restrictions on entry into the Al Aqsa Mosque compound.

The aggression continues on a daily basis. Several Palestinians have been injured, and many more detained over the past week, as Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians protesting across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem over entry restrictions at Al Aqsa Mosque compound.

The Palestinians have waged two previous Intifadas against Israel – in the late 1980s and in 2000-2005. Interim peace deals were signed two decades ago, but follow-up negotiations have repeatedly failed due to Israeli intransigence.

The seriousness of the present developments can also be gauged by the fact that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has received a request from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to hold an emergency meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the OIC member states to discuss the Israeli violations in the occupied city of Al Quds and ways to stop the Israeli aggression on Al Aqsa Mosque.

The paper underscored that Israel’s actions not only violate the sanctity of the third holiest site in Islam, but are also in contravention of the principles of international law.

"The bottom-line is if the international community continues to turn a blind eye to the continuing Israeli crimes, especially in Al Aqsa Mosque, it will only fuel violence and tension in the region and the entire world," it concluded.


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