BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday urged Arab citizens in Israel to ignore the incitement of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who he blamed for “fanning the flames” of recent unrest.

Speaking yesterday at a ceremony to mark the tenth anniversary of Yasser Arafat’s death, Abbas accused Israel of “leading the region and the world to a destructive religious war.” Abbas claimed that, “The leaders of Israel are making a grave mistake by thinking that history can move backwards and that they could impose facts on the ground by dividing the al-Aqsa Mosque.”

The Mosque sits atop the Temple Mount, which is holy to both Jews and Muslims and has been a focal point for violence during the past few weeks. However, Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders have repeatedly reiterated that they have no intention of altering the status quo, by which Jews are permitted to visit the site in small groups, but not allowed to pray there. Last month, Abbas called on Palestinians to “use any means” to prevent Jews from “desecrating the Temple Mount.”

In response to Abbas’s latest comments, Netanyahu said, “Unfortunately, Abu Mazen [Abbas] is not a partner to the fight on terror. He has proven how irresponsible he is. Instead of calming the unrest, he is enflaming it and spreading lies.” His comments were echoed by Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon who said that recent terror attacks were “subject to this incitement.”

During the past week, the unrest has appeared to extend beyond Jerusalem. Two Israelis were stabbed to death by Palestinians in separate incidents in Tel Aviv and the West Bank earlier this week. Last weekend, violent clashes took place between security forces and demonstrators in Arab communities on northern and central Israel. Netanyahu addressed Arab citizens directly yesterday, calling on them not to “get caught up in the propaganda of incitement. You are citizens with equal rights. Your obligation is to obey the law.”