VZCZCXYZ0031
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJMA #0275 0401726
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF3248 0401739
P 091726Z FEB 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000275 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR 
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS 
CORRECTED COPY. SUPERSEDES JERUSALEM 274. 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2017 
TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT THE HARAM A-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT 
 
REF: A. JERUSALEM 266 
     ¶B. JERUSALEM 252 
     ¶C. TEL AVIV 441 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) WORSHIPPERS AT AL AQSA MOSQUE AND ISRAELI POLICE 
CLASHED FOR SEVERAL HOURS ON THE HARAM A-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT 
FEBRUARY 9. THE VIOLENCE BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER FRIDAY PRAYERS 
WHEN 200 ISRAELI POLICE ENTERED THE AREA AROUND AL AQSA 
MOSQUE. ISRAELI ACCOUNTS INDICATE THAT THE POLICE ACTION CAME 
IN RESPONSE TO STONES THROWN FROM THE AREA AROUND THE MOSQUE. 
WAQF ADMINISTRATOR ADNAN HUSSEINI DENIED THAT STONE-THROWING 
BY WORSHIPPERS TRIGGERED THE EVENT. LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED THAT 
15 POLICE OFFICERS AND A NUMBER OF PALESTINIANS WERE LIGHTLY 
WOUNDED AND 17 PROTESTERS ARRESTED. WORSHIPPERS EXITED THE 
MOSQUE BY EARLY AFTERNOON FEBRUARY 9. 
 
¶2. (C) ACCORDING TO HUSSEINI, THE POLICE THREW TEAR GAS INTO 
THE MOSQUE, WHICH CONTAINED AS MANY AS 3500 WORSHIPPERS. 
POLICE INITIALLY WOULD NOT ALLOW THE WORSHIPPERS TO LEAVE THE 
MOSQUE, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED STONE-THROWERS WERE AMONG THEM. 
 HUSSEINI SAID HE HAD PERSONALLY REFUSED TO LEAVE UNTIL ALL 
THE WORSHIPPERS WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE.  RSO SPECIALIST, WHO 
WAS INSIDE THE MOSQUE DURING THE CLASHES, CONFIRMED THAT THE 
SITUATION WAS RESOLVED AND WORSHIPPERS DEPARTED BY EARLY 
AFTERNOON.  HUSSEINI SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED POL SPECIALIST TO 
EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR U.S. SUPPORT AND EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN 
CALM. 
 
¶3. (C) THE VIOLENCE FOLLOWS THREE DAYS OF PROTEST OVER GOI 
EXCAVATIONS OF THE FORMER MUGHRABI GATE RAMP (REFTELS A, B) 
IN PREPARATION TO BUILD A NEW, LARGER RAMP. IN ADDITION TO 
THE CLASHES ON THE HARAM A-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT, POST RECEIVED 
REPORTS OF ROCK THROWING AT DUNG GATE (THE OLD CITY GATE 
CLOSEST TO THE HARAM AL-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT), AND SULTAN 
SULIEMAN STREET WAS TEMPORARILY CLOSED BY THE ISRAELI POLICE. 
THE REST OF THE CITY WAS GENERALLY QUIET, BUT THERE WERE 
REPORTS STONES THROWN IN HEBRON CITY CENTER AND AT THE 
QALANDIA CHECKPOINT, WHERE THE IDF RESPONDED WITH TEAR GAS 
AND RUBBER BULLETS. PEACEFUL MARCHES WERE HELD IN RAMALLAH, 
NABLUS, JENIN, BETHLEHEM, GAZA CITY, KHAN YOUNIS, AND RAFAH. 
 
WALLES