PA TV Temple Mount cartoon
PA TV Temple Mount cartoonPalestinian Media Watch

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been stepping up its libel that Israel is "destroying" the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in order to build the "alleged" Temple.

The highest PA religious authority, Mufti Muhammad Hussein, asserted in late March that Israel was making an "attempt... at lay[ing] hands on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque... [and] in addition to the threat of destroying the Al-Aqsa Mosque to establish the alleged Temple on its ruins."

Palestinian Media Watch translated the comments, which were made by the same mufti who in 2012 publicly called for the genocide of the Jewish people.

The comments were made ahead of the recent series of Arab riots on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem raging since last week, in which Israeli police have been attacked by rocks and firebombs, and limits have been placed on Muslim visitors as well as Jewish visitors.

Destroying to "erect what they call 'the Temple'"

Similarly Khaled Mismar, Chairman of the Political Committee of the Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) reiterated the libels on March 30 on official PA TV.

"Now they want to divide up the Al-Aqsa Mosque (i.e., the Temple Mount Plaza). Furthermore, they want to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and erect what they call 'the Temple' over Al-Aqsa," remarked Mismar.

On the same day, official PA TV broadcast a cartoon from the Jordanian newspaper Al-Dustur on its show Circle of Events.

The cartoon depicts Israel as a monstrous soldier eating the Dome of the Rock Mosque, while a Hamas activist holds a flag with the word "Land," and a Fatah activists holds a flag with the word "Day."

"Land Day" is an event in which extremist Arabs protest the Jewish victories in the wars started by Arab nations since 1948, and the expropriation of land previously held by Arab residents in the aftermaths of these wars.

Temple Mount cartoon on PA TV
Temple Mount cartoon on PA TVPalestinian Media Watch