Abbas told Channel 12 on Thursday that he was “worried” about the apparent new government, which is expected to be the most religious in Israel’s history and include members of the far right.
With members of Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit often speaking of seeking greater Jewish clout in Jerusalem and taking actions Arabs view as provocative in the Old City, Abbas said allowing Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount — as desired by some on the religious right, notably including Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir, a likely minister in the new coalition — “will lead to war.”
“Let’s not be naive,” said Abbas, whose Islamist party was a core component of the outgoing coalition. “When you’re talking about the most sensitive subject which is the holy sites… people’s minds stop working and religious feelings take over. We’ve seen how many rounds of escalation were sparked by provocations at Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Israel has for decades agreed to maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount, whereby Jews are allowed to visit under police guard but not pray. For years Jewish visits were limited, but recent years have seen numbers balloon and authorities have quietly started allowing Jewish prayers. READ MORE
