Abbas confirms halt to security coordination with Israel over Al Aqsa

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas yesterday confirmed he had suspended security coordination between his forces and the Israeli army in protest against Israel’s installation of metal detectors at Al Aqsa mosque.

“They have no right to instal these at the gates of Al Aqsa because the sovereignty over blessed Al Aqsa mosque is ours,” Mr Abbas said. “Therefore we have taken a decisive and firm position especially regarding security coordination and all forms of coordination between us and them.”

Mr Abbas had said on Friday he was suspending “all contacts” with Israel over the issue.

But he has in the past insisted on maintaining security co-ordination with Israel despite opposition from Palestinians who view it as co-operation with the occupation.

An Israeli minister joined the calls for the removal of metal detectors as the situation in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank remained explosive.

“Checks with metal detectors won’t succeed,” housing minister Yoav Gallant said.

Israel said it installed the metal detectors as a security measure, but the move has been widely perceived by Palestinians as a step towards Israel’s takeover of the site – the third holiest in Islam.

“The other side takes this positive thing of a security measure and uses it to gore the Israeli system,” Mr Gallant said. “This is problematic – they are using it to booby-trap the area with potential for terrorism.”

Mr Gallant’s comments came as the Arab League’s secretary-general accused Israel of “playing with fire” with the new measures at the compound, known as Haram Al Sharif.

“Jerusalem is a red line,” Ahmed Abu Al Gheit said, adding that “no Arab or Muslim will accept violations” against Jerusalem’s holy sites. He also accused the Israeli government of “adventurism” and said its moves at Al Aqsa could trigger “a crisis with the Arab and Muslim world”. The League said it would hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Wednesday to discuss the tensions.

Israeli police installed the detectors at the compound after three Palestinian gunmen killed two officers there on July 14. Since then, four Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes in East Jerusalem between Israeli security forces and Palestinians.

In the West Bank, a 19-yearold Palestinian named Omar Al Abed stabbed to death three members of a settler family on Friday night before being wounded and apprehended.

Gadi Zohar, former chief Israeli military administrator for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, also called for a reassessment.

But Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no sign that he was ready to shift course. “Since the start of the events I’ve held a series of assessments with security elements including those in the field,” he said. “We are receiving an up-to-date picture of the situation and recommendations for action and we will decide accordingly.”

Veteran Israeli political analyst Akiva Eldar said that although the Israeli army and the Shin Bet – Israel’s internal security service – had advised against installing the metal detectors, Mr Netanyahu had endorsed the measure out of fear of being portrayed as soft on terrorism by his far-right coalition partner, Naftali Bennet, leader of the Jewish Home party.

“Netanyahu is always looking to the right and worrying about what Bennet will say,” said Mr Eldar, a columnist for Al Monitor news website.

Now, after the clashes in East Jerusalem and the settler killings, Mr Netanyahu does not want to be seen as caving into violence, Mr Eldar said.

“You need to consult all the parties, not dictate,” Mr Eldar said of the decision to instal the detectors.

“The problem is that Netanyahu feels he’s the boss and that the Temple Mount is ours. The Palestinians and Arabs don’t see it that way.”