The “Palestinian National Authority Official Website” now features a lengthy section about Jerusalem which is designed to minimize Jewish ties to Jerusalem. The PA also charges the Israeli government with making the Western Wall a religious site in order to undermine the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

1. Minimizing Ties

The chronology in the report notes a Jewish historical connection three times:

  • “1000 B.C. Israelites (when conquered by king David)”
  • “586 B.C. Babylonians (when Nebuchad Nezzer conquered it, and moved its Jewish inhabitants to Babylon.”
  • “135 B.C. Macabbean Jew”

The construction of the Second Temple and its later destruction are not included in the chronology.

2. Denial of Jewish historical ties to the Western Wall

The section titled “The Most Distinctive Religious Sites in Jerusalem” mentions the “Al-Boraq wall (name of the creature on which Prophet Mohammad made his ascension to heaven), which is called by Jews the ‘Wailing Wall’.”

“5. Al-Boraq Wall: It is part of the exterior facade of the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque. “Al-Boraq” creature which carried Mohammad during his ascension to heaven was tied to this wall.

Some Orthodox religious Jews consider it as a holy place for them, and claim that the wall is part of their temple which all historic studies and archeological excavations have failed to find any proof for such a claim.

In order to undermine the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Israeli government has convert it into a religious shrine for jews, prohibiting non Jews to enter it, except for a limited number of tourists.”

3. Charges of Israeli government desecration of holy places

The report charges that “The Israeli government has desecrated the Islamic holy places, attached [sic] Muslim worshippers several times, and set on fire Al-Aqsa Mosque on 21 August 1968 [Australian Christian Dennis Rohan set the fire and was arrested and sentenced by Israeli authorities – IMRA].

“The burning of the Mosque and the Israeli attempt to blow it up in 1980 were not the last in its disgraceful acts, but it has also desecrated the holy tombs inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and looted many churches. “