Rock attack
Rock attackFlash 90

The Palestinian Authority and Fatah have been the driving force behind the ongoing riots in Jerusalem that peaked during the Jewish New Year with the murder of Alexander Levlovitch, whose car was hit by rocks thrown by Palestinians, according to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

Senior Palestinian Authority and Fatah leaders close to Mahmoud Abbas have called for violence to prevent Jews from visiting the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest religious site.

The following are some of these statements, in media items collected by PMW:

Nabil Shaath, Fatah Central Committee member and Commissioner of International Relations

"Dr. Nabil Shaath stated... that the continuation of the Israeli occupation's attacks on the Noble Sanctuary (i.e., Jews visiting the Temple Mount) and the Ribat fighters (Murabitin – those carrying out Ribat, religious conflict/war to protect land claimed to be Islamic) will be the spark that sets off the impending explosion, whose onset and scope no one can predict. Likewise, he called on the Palestinian and Arab masses to carry out riots of rage."

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 14, 2015]

Official Fatah Spokesman in Jerusalem, Raafat Alayan

"Official Fatah Spokesman in Jerusalem Raafat Alayan called on 'all Palestinian bodies and national and Islamic factions in all regions of the homeland to enlist and go to the areas of conflict in order to 'explode' in front of the occupier and its assistants because of its repeated actions and attacks against the Al-Aqsa [Mosque].' Likewise, he noted that the Fatah movement called on all the schools in Jerusalem, including the Husni Al-Ashhab School, to go out to the streets in order to express their support of the destination of the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey (i.e., tradition that he flew to Al-Aqsa Mosque), and their opposition to its desecration by the settlers..."

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 14, 2015]

Mahmoud Abbas' Adviser and Fatah Central Committee member Sultan Abu Al-Einein

"Fatah Central Committee member Sultan Abu Al-Einein warned of the Israeli enemy's attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem... Abu Al-Einein stated that the Israeli enemy aims to destroy about half of the Al-Aqsa Mosque after it completely takes it over, and called on the Arab and Islamic nations to intervene immediately on all levels in order to restrain Israel and defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque from what the Jewish extremists are plotting against it.

Abu Al-Einein called on our people everywhere to come to Al-Aqsa and carry out Ribat (religious conflict/war to protect land claimed to be Islamic -Ed.), and not to leave it as easy prey for the plots of the Israeli extremist right to destroy it and build the alleged Temple in its place.

He concluded with a call to Fatah movement members and all of the factions to enlist for Jerusalem and carry out widespread public uprisings, in order to make the enemy pay a price for its actions 'because the hand that will be raised against the Al-Aqsa [Mosque] will be amputated.'"

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 14, 2015]

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh

Headline: "'The occupation and its extremists treat Al-Aqsa as they please.' The president [Abbas]: 'We will not sit idly by in the face of these attacks'"

"The official spokesman of [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas] Nabil Abu Rudeineh stated: 'We strongly condemn the occupation's army and police invasion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the attack of [Muslim] worshippers. East Jerusalem and the places holy to Islam and Christianity are a red line, and we will not sit idly by in the face of these attacks.' He added that President [Mahmoud] Abbas has held intensive discussions with all Arab regional and international bodies, and especially with Jordan, Morocco, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in order to deal with the fierce attack taking place against the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

"[Fatah official] Nabil Shaath... called on the Palestinian and Arab masses to carry out riots of rage"

Fatah spokesman: "Go to the areas of conflict in order to 'explode' in front of the occupier and its assistants"

Mahmoud Abbas: "We will not sit idly by in the face of these attacks"

Mahmoud Abbas's Adviser Sultan Abu Al-Einein "concluded with a call to Fatah movement members... [to] carry out widespread public uprisings, in order to make the enemy pay a price for its actions 'because the hand that will be raised against the Al-Aqsa [Mosque] will be amputated.'"

Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman: "East Jerusalem and the places holy to Islam and Christianity are a red line, and we will not sit idly by"