- On the eve of the holiday it was proven again that stone throwing can kill. No government would stand idle in the face of unrelenting attacks against innocent civilians in its capital or anywhere else.
- The Israeli government is determined to use all means necessary to prevent stone and firebomb throwing, the shooting of firecrackers and pipe bomb attacks intended to harm civilians and police officers.
- In order to fight these attacks, the government is considering a number of stringent steps. These include setting mandatory minimum penalties, imposing heavy fines on the parents of minors involved in these attacks and changing the rules for the use of force by the police.
- Israel is committed to preserving the status quo on the Temple Mount and maintaining law and order at the holy sites. We will not allow rioters to violate the status quo by preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount.
- Those responsible for the violent riots in the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the past few days are acting under the guidance of extremist Islamic groups, primarily Hamas and the Islamist Movement. They spread lies about Israeli actions and intentions with the goal of sparking conflict and inciting violence.
- The rioters have deliberately and cynically turned a holy site into a conflict zone. They use rocks, firebombs, firecrackers and pipe bombs.
- In recent months, Islamic extremist organizations have dispatched groups of paid rioters (Mourabitoun and Mourabitat) to the Temple Mount. These groups seek to change the status quo and the existing arrangements on the Temple Mount by initiating provocative and dangerous activities against tourists, visitors and Muslim worshipers on the site. Their activities have led to violence and pose a threat to the safety and security of the public. Therefore, the Mourabitoun and Mourabitat were recently outlawed.
Sacha Stawski
http://honestreporting.com/media-muck-ups-over-the-temple-mount/