The Temple Mount atop Jerusalem's Old City. Photo: Dave Bender

The “Negotiations Affairs Department” of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) wants foreign reporters to stop calling the “Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in Jerusalem,” “by the inaccurate term ‘Temple Mount,'” according to a letter sent to reporters Wednesday.

The representative dealing with the media warned that “All international media representatives are advised to adhere to international law and correct any other existing terminology used.”

There, however, is no “international law” covering how reporters, or anyone else, must refer to the nearly 36-acre compound.

Absent in the letter was any reference to the Jewish history of the walled site, which – besides the PLO – is commonly held to be the site of the First and Second Temples, and is buttressed, at one segment, by the Western Wall – known in Hebrew as the Kotel.

However, according to the PLO, “Sacred to approximately 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, and a symbol for all Palestinians, the Mosque has been under exclusive Muslim sovereignty and control since the construction of the Dome of the Rock in 692 CE.”

The letter claimed the “Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is not a disputed territory and all other terms, therefore, are null and void.”

The PLO, which, in its email, alleged Israel was an “occupying power,” charged that “…many settler leaders, with the support of the Israeli government, continue to incite against this sacred site, and consequently provoke Palestinian fears and anger.”

Al Aqsa arms. Photo: 0404 News

Israeli police, on Wednesday morning, however, said they found other evidence fueling Arab anger: firebombs, fireworks and stones.

“Jerusalem police gathered intelligence about Arab youths who barricaded themselves during the night in the al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. The youth collected stones, fireworks and were preparing Molotov cocktails inside the Al Aqsa Mosque in order to confront the police and damage routine visits and visitors to the area of the Temple Mount,” Israel Police officials said, according to 0404 News.

“In addition, they set up barricades to prevent closing the internal door to the Aqsa Mosque, including shoe lockers, iron and wooden bars, and ropes tied to the mosque doors. All in order to prevent closing the doors,” according to police.

“They established within the mosque fortifications used as a hiding place from which to prepare for violent confrontation with police. These actions indicate early preparations and the premeditated intention of the young rioters to stop the police from closing the doors of the mosque, and to confront and attack policemen using stones, fireworks and petrol bombs prepared in advance.”

“With the opening of the Mughrabi Gate for entry of visitors, several dozen masked youths began throwing stones and shooting fireworks canisters at the police forces at the entryway. In addition, the youth activated fireworks arrays aimed towards the entrance where the police officers chased the youth into the al-Aqsa Mosque.”

“The police force, under the command of the District Commander Moshe (Chico) Edri, acted competently and professionally, while demonstrating determination and courage under a shower of rocks, fireworks, and iron bars.

“They began to remove the barriers protecting the entrance to the mosque. The masked men kept shooting fireworks at police, injuring a number of police officers,” the statement read.