ALL QUIET AT THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT,

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001306 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA. NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2024 TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: ALL QUIET AT THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT, DESPITE JEWISH WORSHIP AND MUSLIM CALLS TO ACTION REF: JERUSALEM 1220 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. There were no violent confrontations on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount July 30, in spite of attempts by religious Jews to worship at the site and Palestinian activists' efforts to prevent them. Hundreds of Jews visited the compound under police protection July 29 and 30, during the Jewish holiday of Tisha b'Av. Waqf officials warned that the increase of Jewish worshippers to the site would lead to conflict in the future if the GoI does not respect Muslim administration of the compound. End Summary. HUNDREDS OF JEWS WORSHIP AT THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Press and local contacts reported that more than 200 Jewish worshippers entered the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount compound with police protection the evening of July 29 and performed Jewish rituals as part of the Tisha b'Av holiday commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish temples. (Note: This visit occurred outside normal visiting hours. The compound is usually opened to non-Muslim for two hours in the morning and one hour in the early afternoon, to avoid visits to the site during Muslim prayers. End note.) At least 91 Jewish worshippers entered the compound during visiting hours the morning of July 30, but non-Muslim visiting hours in the afternoon were canceled. PolOffs observed that Israeli police, who are regularly stationed at the entrances to the compound, were enforcing non-Muslim visiting rules on July 30, and additional police were stationed around the Old City. PALESTINIAN AND MUSLIM OFFICIALS CALL ON ISRAEL TO ACT RESPONSIBLY -------------- ¶3. (C) Hatem Abd al-Qadir, the former PA Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, called on Palestinians to congregate at the Haram al-Sharif July 30 to prevent Jewish "extremists" from entering al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Abd al-Qadir said publicly that the Israeli authorities would be held responsible for any disturbances, if they allowed Jewish worshippers to enter this Muslim holy site. He told PolSpec that prominent Palestinians -- including the Grand Mufti, the PA Governor of the Jerusalem Governorate, and officials from the Jordanian-administered Waqf -- attended the July 30 rally. ¶4. (C) Azzam al-Khatib, head of the Waqf, and Yusuf al-Natshah, Waqf Director of Archeology and Tourism, told PolOff July 30 that they did not expect Jewish visitors to spark violent confrontations at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. The Waqf refused to coordinate visits of Jewish worshippers to the area, al-Natshah said, because non-Muslim worship on the compound is "provocative," and is incrementally eroding the "status quo" Muslim authority over the site. Al-Khatib downplayed the presence of Palestinian activists at the site, saying the Waqf is working to keep the situation under control. Al-Khatib and al-Natshah said the growing trend of religious Jews to worship on the compound could lead to violent confrontations in the future. WALLES