- Title: JERUSALEM: THOUSANDS OF MUSLEMS STAGE RALLY AT AL-AQSA MOSQUE.
- Date: 7th August 2005
- Summary: (BN12) JERUSALEM (AUGUST 06, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH GATE OF THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM 0.04 2. MV/GV: ISRAELI SECURITY GUARDING THE GATES OF THE OLD CITY; POLICEMEN AT THE OLD CITY (3 SHOTS) 0.16 3. GV/MV/LV/PAN: DOZENS WALKING TOWARDS AL-AQSA MOSQUE TO PARTICIPATE IN A RALLY ORGANISED BY THE ISLAMIC MOVEM
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JERUSALEM
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVA6ZCRS6GP4PUPM5ZQ6S4GBR5EW
- Story Text: Thousands of Muslims rally at al-Aqsa mosque under
heavy Israeli security.
An estimated 50,000 Muslim worshippers gathered on
Saturday (August 06) at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in the
Old City of Jerusalem amid fears of a possible wave of Arab
unrest following the killing of four Israeli-Arabs by a
Jewish militant last Thursday.
Heavy Israeli security was deployed at the area to
preempt potential riots two days after the shooting attack
that killed two Muslims and two Christians in northern
Israel on Thursday (August 4), and wounded at least 22
people, most of them Arabs.
Supporters of the Islamic movement, which organised the
event, gathered at the compound on the Dome of the Rock to
raise funds for the maintenance and preservation of the
Jerusalem shrine sacred to both Muslims and Jews.
In the northern Israeli-Arab town of Shfaram, the scene
of the shooting attack, Israel took further steps to calm
the atmosphere after the worst violence against Israeli
Arabs since 13 were killed when police quelled a series of
protests held in support of a Palestinian uprising in
October 2000.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who had condemned
the gunman as a "bloodthirsty terrorist," telephoned
Shfaram's Mayor Ersan Yassin to express condolences for the
death of four residents of his town.
On Friday (August 5) a peaceful prayer session at the
Mosque was held and the 35,000 Palestinian worshippers
dispersed without incidents reported.
Israeli Arabs, who number about 1.2 million, make up
about a fifth of Israel's population and often complain of
discrimination. Most sympathise with Palestinians in the
occupied territories but few have become involved in
militancy.
The latest killings stirred some calls for protests and
Israeli Arab leaders met in Shfaram to consider a response
to the attack.
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