Resuming demolition of Maghareba path is demolition of Aqsa Mosque

OCCUPIED
JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Aqsa Foundation catering for Islamic shrines in Palestine on Monday warned of the Israeli government's decision to resume demolishing the Maghareba historical path leading to the Aqsa
Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. The Foundation in a statement said that the decision would mean destroying
part of the Aqsa Mosque because the Maghareba path is part and parcel of the Mosque.

Such destruction works would greatly endanger the holy site and destabilize its foundations especially when the Israeli occupation authority's excavations under it did not stop ever since its occupation of the Mosque 40 years ago, the AF pointed out. It charged that the IOA decision fell in line with insistence on controlling the Aqsa Mosque in gradual stages and dividing it between Muslims and Jews in addition to building the alleged temple.

The Foundation addressed an urgent appeal to the Palestinian, Arab and islamic officials and masses to act immediately to save the Aqsa Mosque before it is too late. The Israeli government in its weekly session on Sunday decided to resume the demolition works at the Aqsa Mosque and to complete those works the soonest.

Hebrew daily 'Ha'aretz' on Monday said that the decision asked the archeological department to eliminate all non-historical material at the site out of "security, social and decorative considerations". The Israeli archaeologist Meir Ben-Dov had said that the demolition works were not necessary and described them as "illegitimate". For his part, Sheikh Nafez Azzam, one of the Islamic Jihad leaders in the Gaza Strip, charged in a radio statement on Monday that the IOA was exploiting PA chief Mahmoud Abbas's weakness to implement its schemes against occupied Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque.

He attributed the IOA's resumption of demolition works to the ongoing negotiations with Abbas with international backing and Arab neglect. Azzam held the PA leadership the major esponsibility for any results committed by the IOA due to Abbas's insistence on continuing negotiations with occupation.