Dr Hanna Eisa,
the Secretary General of the
commission, claims that
Yishai has secretly obtained
official permits for the
construction in the third
holiest site for Muslims.
The new
synagogue is expected to be
built in the southwestern
area of Al Aqsa Mosque and
in front of Al Marwani
prayer area.
“This is a
serious plan aimed at
planting Jewish existence
within the Muslim sacred
area,” Dr Eisa told Gulf
News.
Dr Eisa said
that the construction of the
synagogue will be the
initial step to put in
action an Israeli draft law
where the days of the week
will be divided between the
Muslim and Jewish worshipers
at the Al Aqsa Compound.
“Certain
days of the week will be
solely granted for the
Jewish worshipers and on
them Muslims will not be
allowed into Al Aqsa
Compound, just the way the
Ebrahimi mosque of Hebron
is currently run,” he
said, adding that the time
granted to Jewish
worshipers will be
increased over a short
period of time, thereby
limiting the time
Muslims visit Al Aqsa
Compound to the Friday
prayers. “This is a
serious plan that should
be confronted on all
levels including the
official and the public,”
he stressed.
Israel currently considers
the open areas of Al Aqsa
Compound as public parks
which are open to Jewish
visitors and an official
decision to make the new
synagogue a reality is
expected shortly.
“A
total of 104 Jewish
synagogues are spread
around Al Aqsa Compound,
and the Israelis are now
entering the sacred site
as well,” he said, adding
that the current
conditions in the Arab
world make the Zionist
dream of taking over Al
Aqsa Compound and turning
it into a major synagogue
easier and more possible.
He said that the issue of
the new synagogue has been
addressed with the
Jordanian authorities who
are the custodians of the
sacred sites in the holy
city.
He said that Israeli
excavations under Al Aqsa
Compound reached 18 meters
under the ground, and that
they now have available
several halls
accommodating 5,000
people. By 2020, Israelis
will have completed a big
underground city under Al
Aqsa Compound
accommodating six million
people.