Seven Questions: Rafiq Husseini

On Sept. 27, Palestinians hurled rocks at a group of visitors at the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem; they thought the visitors were Jewish fundamentalists and wanted to ward them away from the holy site. Clashes escalated over the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, and Israel barred all male worshipers under 50 from entering the mosque. As happened during the first and second intifadas, violence spread throughout East Jerusalem, with Israeli police arresting dozens of Palestinian protesters. The paralysis over the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and continuing tension over Jewish settlement expansion in East Jerusalem added fuel to the flames.

As this tense situation unfolded, Foreign Policy interviewed Rafiq H. Husseini, chief of staff for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. They discussed how the conflict started -- and where it might lead.

Foreign Policy: Could you describe the series of events that have resulted in the recent tensions in Jerusalem and how the situation has gotten as bad as it is today?

Rafiq Husseini: The tensions did not start last week. The tensions have been ongoing since this new Israeli government [took] over, with its aim to fulfill its objective of ensuring that East Jerusalem is never returned to Palestinian sovereignty. An active program of putting Jewish settlements in Arab East Jerusalem has been progressing, including evictions of Palestinians.

But the tensions have now increased. ... [N]ow groups of fundamentalists want to go inside the al-Aqsa mosque and the al-Haram al-Sharif, which is an Islamic holy shrine. Every day we fear that Israeli fundamentalist groups [will] declare that this area is the Temple Mount and that they want to build the third temple on the ruins of the existing Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

FP: Last week, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said, "[T]he battle is underway for sovereignty of Jerusalem and particularly over the Temple Mount." Do you see this as part of a struggle for Jerusalem between the Israelis and the Palestinians?

RH: Well, [the al-Aqsa mosque] is a Palestinian holy shrine. Why should there be a battle for it, or its sovereignty? This is a Palestinian, Arab, Islamic holy shrine that has been there for almost 1,500 years. Therefore, the battle is unfortunately not between the Palestinians and the Israelis over sovereignty. It is a battle by extremist Israeli groups backed by a government of extremists to try to re-create 2,000 years of history.

This is not acceptable. The issue has been turned by this Israeli government into a religious battle ... not only a clash of nationalistic viewpoints.

FP: Can you describe the difference, from your perspective, between the current Benjamin Netanyahu government and the Kadima government which preceded it?

RH: First of all, I think the Kadima government ... accepted that they want to put all the issues for discussion between us on the table, including Jerusalem. They also understood the sensitivity of the subject. Although they involved themselves in some settlement plans in East Jerusalem, they were much more receptive and understood the tensions and what these issues can bring -- how they can damage both peoples.

Also, there were channels of communication between the two leaderships, so when an issue like what is happening in Jerusalem was about to take place, these issues were talked about and solved, most of the time. Today, these channels are completely blocked and closed.

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JACOB BLUES

9:16 AM ET

October 13, 2009

So once again, the Palestinians plan their attack

Wheelbarrels full of stone and concrete brought to the supposed "holy place" of al-Aqsa, for the sole purpose of threatening Jewish worshippers in the plaza by the Western Wall below.

And yet, when confronted, the Palestinians go "who us? Couldn't be. We're just 'defending' al-Aqsa" ... from tourists, and Jews coming to worship.

So much for the idea of sanctity. So much for the idea of the Palestinians ability to live with their Jewish neighbors.

The audacity of such a stand is only supersceded by the Arab/Muslim world's response, where Jordanian kings shrilly call for Jews to abandon the Temple Mount and leave Jerusalem.

So much for the idea of Arab/Muslim peace.

And we're supposed to trust the Arab world with Abdullah's so-called peace treaty.

YBRONSTEIN

1:40 PM ET

Why do these guys constantly deny history?

"It is a battle by extremist Israeli groups backed by a government of extremists to try to re-create 2,000 years of history."

Muhammad was not born 2,000 years ago, he was born in the 6th century. There is no debate among any single credible historian that Jewish life in Jerusalem focusing on the Temple on the Temple Mount existed several centuries before Islam existed.

Arafat said the same thing to Clinton before Camp David that Palestinian archeologists have proven that Jews never had a temple in Jerusalem. They just refuse to accept history...

4:20 PM ET

Of course, a balanced view would hold every single nation to the

same standard.

Of course, we've seen the double-standards that the world holds Israel to and every other nation state. Of course it doesn't stop there, terrorist groups that attack Israel also seem to get a carte-blanche as well.

ASGOLD25

11:00 AM ET

October 14, 2009

Two problems with your logic...

1. The Geneva Convention does not apply to non-state actors, i.e. Hamas and Hezbollah. Additionally, criticism from the UN and various nations is often unfairly leveled against Israel while completely ignoring the destructive goals of Hamas and Hezbollah. Until non-state actors are effectively addressed in international conventions, it is unfair to level the blame entirely against Israel.
2. There is no evidence that Israel is engaging in any ethnic cleansing. There IS evidence that it is attempting to steal land, but the two are very different. And there are many other countries that engage in similar practices, namely China (see Tibet and Xinxiang).

The main point I'm trying to make is that your argument has little legitimacy when you take such a one-sided view and concoct silly claims. I believe that Israel has to end its blockade of Gaza and withdraw entirely from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but obstinate people such as yourself are not helping to make this a reality. Instead, all you're succeeding at doing is pushing Israelis further and further to the right.

Oh, and as a helpful tip, writing certain words in CAPS does not add emphasis, but simply makes you sound hysterical and irrational.

Foreign Policy Magazine

Seven Questions: Rafiq Husseini

Rafiq Husseini, one of President Mahmoud Abbas's closest advisors, discusses the recent tensions in Jerusalem -- and what it says about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Interview by DAVID KENNER | OCTOBER 12, 2009

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