VZCZCXRO0289
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1306 2111414
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 301414Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5587
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001306 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA. NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2024 
TAGS:              
SUBJECT: ALL QUIET AT THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT, 
DESPITE JEWISH WORSHIP AND MUSLIM CALLS TO ACTION 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 1220 
 
Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 1.  (C) Summary.  There were no violent confrontations on the 
Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount July 30, in spite of attempts by 
religious Jews to worship at the site and Palestinian 
activists' efforts to prevent them.  Hundreds of Jews visited 
the compound under police protection July 29 and 30, during 
the Jewish holiday of Tisha b'Av.  Waqf officials warned that 
the increase of Jewish worshippers to the site would lead to 
conflict in the future if the GoI does not respect Muslim 
administration of the compound.  End Summary. 
 
HUNDREDS OF JEWS WORSHIP AT 
THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT 
-------------------------------- 
 
 2.  (SBU) Press and local contacts reported that more than 
200 Jewish worshippers entered the Haram al-Sharif/Temple 
Mount compound with police protection the evening of July 29 
and performed Jewish rituals as part of the Tisha b'Av 
holiday commemorating the destruction of the first and second 
Jewish temples.  (Note:  This visit occurred outside normal 
visiting hours.  The compound is usually opened to non-Muslim 
for two hours in the morning and one hour in the early 
afternoon, to avoid visits to the site during Muslim prayers. 
 End note.)  At least 91 Jewish worshippers entered the 
compound during visiting hours the morning of July 30, but 
non-Muslim visiting hours in the afternoon were canceled. 
PolOffs observed that Israeli police, who are regularly 
stationed at the entrances to the compound, were enforcing 
non-Muslim visiting rules on July 30, and additional police 
were stationed around the Old City. 
 
PALESTINIAN AND MUSLIM OFFICIALS 
CALL ON ISRAEL TO ACT RESPONSIBLY 
--------------------------------- 
 
 3.  (C) Hatem Abd al-Qadir, the former PA Minister for 
Jerusalem Affairs, called on Palestinians to congregate at 
the Haram al-Sharif July 30 to prevent Jewish "extremists" 
from entering al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.  Abd 
al-Qadir said publicly that the Israeli authorities would be 
held responsible for any disturbances, if they allowed Jewish 
worshippers to enter this Muslim holy site.  He told PolSpec 
that prominent Palestinians -- including the Grand Mufti, the 
PA Governor of the Jerusalem Governorate, and officials from 
the Jordanian-administered Waqf -- attended the July 30 rally. 
 
 4.  (C) Azzam al-Khatib, head of the Waqf, and Yusuf 
al-Natshah, Waqf Director of Archeology and Tourism, told 
PolOff July 30 that they did not expect Jewish visitors to 
spark violent confrontations at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple 
Mount.  The Waqf refused to coordinate visits of Jewish 
worshippers to the area, al-Natshah said, because non-Muslim 
worship on the compound is "provocative," and is 
incrementally eroding the "status quo" Muslim authority over 
the site.  Al-Khatib downplayed the presence of Palestinian 
activists at the site, saying the Waqf is working to keep the 
situation under control.  Al-Khatib and al-Natshah said the 
growing trend of religious Jews to worship on the compound 
could lead to violent confrontations in the future. 
WALLES