ONE place has the potential to ignite a war that could engulf the Middle East and beyond: the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.
Tension mounted at the holy site last week, threatening to ignite a conflagration with far-reaching ramifications.
The compound is the place of the Foundation Stone which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
It is where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended into heaven on a winged horse, and where Jews believe creation began and Abraham was poised to sacrifice his son Isaac.
One cannot underestimate the emotional and religious importance this place holds to all three religions, and how dangerous any provocation or attempts to alter the status quo can be. It has the potential to inflame emotions across the globe.
Historically, the Islamic Waqf has maintained the right to security control and measures in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, but after a shooting attack 10 days ago by three Israeli-Arab gunmen left two Israeli policemen and the three gunmen dead, the mosque was closed for days.
It was the first time in 50 years that Muslims had been banned from praying there.
In the wake of the attack, Israel installed metal detectors and security cameras at the mosque entrances - viewed by the Waqf as unacceptable interference, a violation of the rights of Palestinian worshippers and an attempt to take control of the mosque.
In protest, Waqf officials and muftis have called on Muslims to hold prayers outside the mosque, not only in the old city but also the West Bank.
A number of Palestinian factions have called for an uprising or third intifada.
So serious is the situation that, according to Israeli media, the Israeli army and intelligence Shin Bet has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to relent on the metal detectors, fearing it would harm relations with Jordan, which is the custodian of the holy site.
But the trend that underlies these recent developments is perhaps even more worrying.
Right-wing Israeli lawmakers and cabinet ministers are increasingly demanding Netanyahu end the year-long ban on their visits to what they consider the Temple Mount.
Many of these powerful individuals advocate a change in the status quo of the mosque compound, to allow Jews to worship there.
A growing concern among Palestinians is that Israel might
intend to divide the Al-Aqsa Mosque, allowing both Jews and Muslims to pray there - as happened in the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron after a Jewish settler assassinated 29 Muslims there in 1994.
Any attempts to divide the mosque compound or control its administration will be seen as a serious provocation that will unleash violent mass protest, not only in Jerusalem.
But it is not only the dynamics at
the mosque compound that could unleash a third intifada, but also the Israeli attempts to Judaise East Jerusalem and get rid of its
Palestinian inhabitants.
About 300000 Israeli settlers live illegally in East Jerusalem, and their settlement has been encouraged by generous economic incentives provided by the municipality of Jerusalem.
Moves are under way to cut off occupied East Jerusalem from the West Bank with the construction of massive new settlements.
Earlier this month, Israel announced it would build 2000 new housing units in the illegal Israeli settlement of Geva Binyamin between Jerusalem and the separation wall.
It also said it would execute four plans for Jewish-only housing in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.
According to international law, Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem is illegal and violates Israel’s obligations as an occupying power.
The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, but has enabled these violations to continue as a result of a lack of effective international intervention and accountability.
While the scenes at the mosque might have captured world headlines, the developments in the Israeli Knesset were equally as serious, but not as well covered.
The Knesset passed a bill last week aimed at preventing Jerusalem’s division, by requiring an 80-member majority vote to return any part of Jerusalem to the Palestinians.
This law has, in effect, destroyed any possibility of a two-state solution which is supposed to guarantee East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.
If a two-state solution is off the cards for the Israeli government, Palestinians will need to re-evaluate their struggle strategy in view of the changes on the ground and dramatic shift in the Israeli position.
The Sunday Independent