Israel fears attack on mosque

2004-07-25 12:25

Jerusalem - Israeli authorities fear Jewish extremists could be planning an air attack on Jerusalem's disputed mosque compound in a bid to derail plans to uproot settlers from Gaza, Haaretz newspaper reported on Sunday.

Security sources told the daily they were studying the possibility that militants would try to crash an unmanned drone packed with explosives or even a send a suicide bomber to crash into Muslim worshippers during a prayer session.

Public Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi warned on Saturday of a high risk of an attack by Jewish extremists against Islamic holy places on the compound, which is known as the Temple Mount by Jews and Al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to Muslims.

The compound shelters the Dome of the Rock (Omar Mosque) and Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, as well as the Western Wall which is the holiest site for the Jews.

Jewish extremists are fiercely opposed to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plans to pull all 8 000 settlers and Israeli troops out of the Gaza Strip by the end of next year.

Authorities fear that the extremists want to trigger a violent backlash by Palestinians that would make it impossible for Sharon's government to implement the departure from Gaza.

In the early 1980s, the Shin Beth internal security service busted a Jewish clandestine group that was planning a large-scale attack on the Temple Mount in order to torpedo a peace accord with Egypt and prevent the dismantling of settlements on the Sinai peninsula.

- AFP