Officials: Jewish extremists may crash plane on Temple Mount

haaretz.com ^ | July 25, 2004 | Jonathan Lis, Yuval Yoaz, Nadav Shragai

[HAL9000]

Israeli security officials have recently become increasingly concerned that right-wing extremists might be plotting an attack on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to derail Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Shin Bet security service and the police are preparing for a number of possible terror attack scenarios at the sacred Old City site, Israeli security sources said on Saturday night.

Speaking on the Channel Two "Meet the Press" program yesterday, Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi confirmed that the security establishment had identified rising intent among right-wing extremists to carry out a Temple Mount attack.

"There is no information about specific individuals, because the Shin Bet and police would not let them continue [with their plot]," said Hanegbi. "But there are troubling indications of purposeful thinking, and not detached philosophy... There is a danger that [extremists] would make use of the most explosive site, in the hope that a chain reaction would bring about the destruction of the peace process."

Security sources on Saturday night said possible actions included an attempt to crash a drone packed with explosives on the Temple Mount, or a manned suicide attack with a light aircraft during mass Muslim worship on the Mount. Other possibilities include an attempt by right-wing extremists to assassinate a prominent Temple Mount Muslim leader, perhaps from the Waqf Islamic trust.

Yehuda Etzion, one of the leaders of a plot in the early 1980s to blow up the mosques on the Temple Mount, said Sunday that blowing up the Dome of the Rock, the gilded mosque at the center of the compound, was a "worthy" goal, but that it was not the proper way to fight the disengagement initiative.

"Losing one's patience after so many years of distortion is something understandable," Etzion told Army Radio. "Is this a worthy act? First of all, it is worthy. On the other hand, it is unworthy as an act to thwart the disengagement."

Israeli security sources speculate that the assassination scenario might be chosen, even though it would not cause mass injury or damage to the Al-Aqsa mosque or the Dome of the Rock. The aim of the Temple Mount attack conspiracy, they said, would be to carry out a visible provocation that sparked violent confrontation in the territories.

According to Hanegbi, "We sense that the level of threat to the Temple Mount from the standpoint of extreme and fanatic Jewish elements carrying out a terrorist attack in order to reshuffle the cards, to serve as a catalyst to a change in the entire political initiative - this level has risen in recent months and more so in recent weeks, more than at any time in the past."

Due to stringent security routines at the Temple Mount, Israeli security officials said Saturday, right-wing extremists would find it virtually impossible to use conventional routes to penetrate the site with explosives. Hence, the possibility of a large bomb being planted at one of the Muslim holy sites is "a lower-level possibility."

Saturday's disclosures about possible Temple Mount terror plans were preceded in recent months by a number of troubling indications. Nine months ago a suspect in a Jewish underground terror group affair, Shahar Dvir-Zeliger, told authorities a prominent West Bank settler activist had planned a Temple Mount attack. Zeliger cited two other names of West Bank settlers, suggesting the two were involved in the Temple Mount attack conspiracy.

Last Thursday, the Temple Mount Faithful group petitioned the High Court, asking to be given clearance to go up to the Holy Site for prayers later this week for Tisha B'Av.

[Dallas59]

Destruction of the Temple Mount....proceeded by the construction of the New Temple of David?

[TheBattman]

That was the first thing that came into my mind as well....

[Dutch Boy]

There is something odd with a conservative jew committing suicide. The act of commiting suicide is strictly forbidden. I wonder if this isn't just propaganda.

[megatherium]

First thing that came into my mind is "oh, great, let's have world war three".

I think operating under the assumption that everything fits into some sort of end-times scenario (particularly something similar to that described by Hal Lindsey or Tim La Haye) is not a good idea. Many at the time of Jesus were expecting a conquering Messiah, who would rule from Jerusalem over a global empire of peace. Instead, the Messiah of Isaiah 53 came, and then the Jews attempted to overthrow Roman rule, with catastrophic results. I keep thinking archaeologists will find an old scroll with the title The Late Great Roman Empire. I fear we are making the same mistake today.