EXCLUSIVE PICTURES
Israel's opening of a synagogue a few meters away from the Western Wall of Al Aqsa Mosque, on Islamic endowment land, was bound to be controversial.

Many Palestinians and, indeed Muslims worldwide, view the act as a sinister prelude to a final assault on Al Aqsa Mosque.  Last week's approval by Benjamin Netanyahu of 1,600 new settler homes near East Jerusalem has contributed to the unrest.

Fierce confrontations have broken out in the early hours of Tuesday in many parts of occupied Jerusalem after Zionist settlers opened a synagogue next to Al Aqsa Mosque and declared their intention to lay the foundation stone of the so-called third temple.
 
Some of the fiercest clashes erupted between young Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces on the outskirts of the Issawiya village, as stones were hurled at the occupation forces who responded with tear gas canisters, stun grenades and live bullets. There are reports of many casualties.

Ikrima Sabri: our people would consult no one when they rise up 
The Mufti of Jerusalem, Ikrima Sabri, said that the occupation authority bears full responsibility for the current confrontations in Jerusalem city, confirming that the judaization policies, the threats to Al Aqsa Mosque and the unprecedented measures of preventing people from praying at the mosque have provoked the Palestinians.
 
Sabri added, "Our people consult no one when they rise up and they will seek the approval of no one in order to stop the Jews from controlling the Al Aqsa Mosque." 

Fatah's head of Jerusalem affairs has accused the Palestinian Authority and its security services of preventing Palestinian citizens from expressing their anger at what is happening in the city, particularly yesterday's opening of a synagogue next to Al Aqsa Mosque.

Hatem Abdul Qadir denounced the justification given by the Palestinian Authority for preventing the protests in the West Bank.
 
Abdul Qadir further warned of an escalation of confrontation in Jerusalem, reiterating his call for mobilisation to support the Al Aqsa Mosque.

He emphasised that what is happening in Jerusalem is similar to the first Palestinian uprising, stressing that the "men and youth of Jerusalem are able to protect the city despite the despicable Arab silence."