After attacks in Jerusalem, fears grow of religious war
Palestinians believe Israel is threatening to ignite a religious war between Palestinian Muslims and Israeli Jews, taking advantage of the unrest in the Arab and Islamic world.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — An attack on a synagogue in western Jerusalem on Nov. 18 left four Israelis dead, as well as the two Palestinian perpetrators. This attack came a day after the death of a Palestinian bus driver in East Jerusalem. According to Quds News, Israeli settlers strangled the driver, while Israeli media described the death as a suicide. Several Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, gave their blessing to the synagogue attack, which considered it a normal reaction to Israeli violations of holy sites and aggression of Jerusalemites.
During a meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council on Nov. 18, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the synagogue attack and the targeting of all houses of worship including Christian and Muslim holy sites.
On Nov. 12, settlers set ablaze a mosque in the village of al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah, against the backdrop of the Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, which have been going on for months. The incident heightened fears of a possible religious war.
Commenting on extremist Jewish groups raiding Al-Aqsa Mosque, Abbas said on Nov. 11: “The Israeli acts are leading the region and the world into a devastating religious war.” In this regard, far-right parties in the Knesset proposed laws to divide and impose Israeli sovereignty on the mosque.
