Bruce Feiler - Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking The Bible

Hamas on the Temple Mount?
Monday, July 2, 2007

Reads to me like more propagandistic hype. The battle over the Temple Mount has been going on for decades, with Right Wing Jews as guilty as Right Wing Muslims. How about a little perspective! I have an entire chapter about this in WHERE GOD WAS BORN, but here's the latest chapter designed to rile naive Jews around the world.

Hamas's attempts to take over control of the Temple Mount as well as spread its ideology and recruit new members in Jerusalem have been foiled by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), a senior security official announced Monday.
According to officials, Hamas has invested millions of shekels in recent years in Jerusalem charities and religious institutions, as well as in construction on the Temple Mount, in an effort to recruit Israeli Arab residents of Jerusalem into its ranks, thus bolstering its presence in the capital.
The official said that Hamas has recently enlarged a library and several prayer halls in Solomon's Stables and also built a public bathroom facility.
"Their goal is to gain full control over the Temple Mount," a high-ranking security officer said Monday, adding that Hamas also tried to infiltrate members into the Temple Mount as maintenance staff, in addition to its religious leaders who preach, give tours, and teach Koran classes there.
The official said Hamas had taken advantage of the Jordanian Wakf, which is responsible for the holy site. The Wakf has been suffering from financial constraints since 2000, when the Temple Mount mosques were closed to visitors.

Labels: Middle East

Posted by B Feiler at 10:20 AM
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