Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas continues to instigate violence as he denies Israel’s right to Jerusalem, the historic capital of the Jewish people.

PA head Abbas. (Photo: Issam Rimawi/Flash90)

Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas vowed on Tuesday that the Palestinians will never agree to Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount. He accused Israel of dragging the region into a religious war, Israel’s Ynet reports.

Making inflammatory comments during a speech in Ramallah on the 10th anniversary of arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat’s death, Abbas said:

“Israel’s leaders are making a huge mistake if they think they can now establish facts on the ground and divide prayer times at the al-Aqsa Mosque as they did at the Cave of the Patriarchs. By doing these things they are leading the region and the world into a devastating religious war.”

As tensions run high in Jerusalem following deadly terror attacks against Israelis, Abbas added fuel to the flames by proclaiming: “The Muslim and Christian world will never accept Israeli claims that Jerusalem is theirs. Jerusalem is our capital and we will never give this up; Jerusalem that was occupied in 1967 is our Jerusalem. We will safeguard and protect our holy places.”

Abbas also criticized any Jewish presence on the Temple Mount, condemning “the daily incursions and attacks from the settlers and the leaders of the Israeli occupation army.”

Continued Incitement to Violence

Israeli police secure the Temple Mount after Arab rioting. (Photo: Sliman Khader/Flash 90)

Abbas continued to commend the Arabs who riot daily on the Temple Mount while effectively defiling their own holy places.

“They ask us who are these guardians? They sit at al-Aqsa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to pray and to protect. And if (the Israelis) attack them, it is their right to defend the holy places. Keep the extremist settlers away from the al-Aqsa mosque and our holy places. Don’t let our holy sites be contaminated, keep them from us and we will stay away from them,” he said.

(The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has not been a point of contention, nor have Jewish Israelis shown an interest in praying there. By mentioning a major Christian holy site in the same breath as the Temple Mount, Abbas is apparently trying to further provoke the ire of the Christian world against Israel.)

Speaking at a special Knesset session last week, the Israeli leader reiterated his charge that Abbas was responsible for the upsurge of violence in the capital:

“Over the past several months, and especially over the past several days, we have witnessed a campaign of wild incitement against the State of Israel led by Abu Mazen [Abbas] and his Hamas partners. Hamas terrorists carry out terror attacks and Abu Mazen sends them condolence letters…. This front of hatred is directed at all of us. It seeks to run over all of us…. It turns out that boundless violence walks hand in hand with religious intolerance. We will not let extremists and fanatics ignite Jerusalem.”

How You Can Help Israel, the Christians and Jerusalem

Jerusalem, under Israeli sovereignty, is one of the few cities in the Middle East where Christians can freely practice their religion.

Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem, its capital, has come under increased attack in past weeks. We need to stand together and show the world that Jerusalem is not some bargaining chip in border negotiations or a rally point for terrorists. It is a Holy City meant to provide a beacon of light to all nations under the sovereignty of Israel.

Help us ensure that Jerusalem stays unified. Click HERE to sign The Jerusalem Declaration.

Author: United with Israel Staff