Monday, October 12, 2009

Netanyahu to Arab world: Ignore 'lies' about Temple Mount

(Haaretz).Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Arab world on Monday to ignore "lies" that Israel was planning to dig under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, after repeated outbursts of unrest in the capital over the matter. "Last week extremist figures tried to undermine [Israel's] stability. This is an extremist minority that spread lies about Israel digging under the Temple Mount. This is a lie," said Netanyahu at a cabinet meeting.

He was apparently also referring to rumors spread among Palestinians and Israeli Arabs of an attempt by Israel to harm the Islamic holy sites in the compound, which contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In a direct address to the Israeli Arab community, Netanyahu said: "You are citizens with equal rights; we want to live together in coexistence and bring our children prosperity."