Fatah activist: Palestinians fear there is a ‘plan to destroy’ al-Aqsa

Samer Sinijlawi, a Fatah activist, spoke with i24NEWS on the recent violence in Jerusalem, and said that a majority of Palestinians fear that there is a “plan to destroy the al-Aqsa mosque.”

“There is a serious fear among most of the Palestinians - and now it's becoming [common] among most of the Arabs and Muslims - that there is some kind of plan to destroy the al-Aqsa mosque… and replace it” with the Jewish temple, the activist told i24NEWS.

“Whether this plan is among a few people or small organizations… It’s getting a lot of publicity, it’s there,” he said.

Sinijlawi added that a number of groups were distributing images of the design of the Jewish temple online and throughout social media, which contributed to a fear in Muslim communities that the mosque would be destroyed and replaced.

“Al-Aqsa is a very sensitive nerve - you cannot touch it,” the activist told i24NEWS, describing the holy site as a “gunpowder bag.”

Clashes at the mosque compound last year served as a major flashpoint event which set off a wider escalation as rockets and airstrikes were exchanged between Israel and Gaza during Operation Guardian of the Walls.

“This is a lesson that does not need to be learned anymore - it’s obvious to everybody,” Sinijlawi said.