ISRAELI ACTIVISTS ENTER TEMPLE MOUNT/HARAM

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000639

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2017
TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI ACTIVISTS ENTER TEMPLE MOUNT/HARAM
A-SHARIF APRIL 4-5

CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) WAQF DIRECTOR AZZAM AL-KHATIB TOLD POLOFF ON APRIL 6
THAT RIGHT-WING ISRAELI ACTIVISTS ENTERED THE TEMPLE
MOUNT/HARAM A-SHARIF COMPOUND ON APRIL 4 AND 5. AL-KHATIB
SAID ON APRIL 4 SIXTY ACTIVISTS ENTERED THROUGH THE MUGHRABI
GATE AND TOURED THE COMPOUND FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, ESCORTED BY
ISRAELI POLICE. HE NOTED THAT WAQF GUARDS WERE PROHIBITED
FROM APPROACHING THE GROUP. ACCORDING TO AL-KHATIB, SOME
FORTY-TWO ACTIVISTS WERE ESCORTED ONTO THE TEMPLE MOUNT/HARAM
A-SHARIF ON APRIL 5, AND ON THIS OCCASION, THEY CARRIED A
MODEL OF THE SECOND TEMPLE. PRESS ACCOUNTS INDICATE THAT THE
ACTIVISTS ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE TEMPLE MOUNT FAITHFUL.


2. (C) AL-KHATIB TOLD POLOFF THAT THE WAQF GUARDS HAD
CONTACTED ISRAELI COUNTERPARTS TO PROTEST THE SITUATION, AND
HE WARNED THAT SUCH ACTIVITIES COULD FUEL ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN
TENSIONS. AL-KHATIB SAID THAT IF THE ACTIVISTS ATTEMPT TO
CONDUCT RELIGIOUS SERVICES ON THE COMPOUND, WAQF OFFICIALS
WILL BE UNABLE TO CONTROL THE REACTIONS, NOTING THE VIOLENT
CLASHES IN 1991 AFTER GERSHON SOLOMON APPROACHED THE COMPOUND
WITH THE INTENT OF LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A NEW TEMPLE.

WALLES