Al-Aqsa omitted from Pesach Haggadah cover
Proudly Serving Islam and Al Quds
Eli Senyor
Model of 'third temple' superimposed on Jewish books distributed in Jaffa kindergarten. Local Arab leader: Settlers trying to provoke us
March 19, 2010
Haggadot for Pesach distributed Thursday in kindergartens throughout religiously mixed Jaffa bore a photo of the Temple Mount on the cover, but the al-Aqsa Mosque, which is also located in the east Jerusalem compound, was conspicuously omitted.
An image of a model of the "third temple" was superimposed on the photo in place of the mosque, which is one of Islam's holiest sites.
It is unclear who distributed the haggadot.
"We've seen red lines being crossed in the past, but this is a crossing of all boundaries," said Kamel Agbaria, chairman of the Ajami neighborhood council.
"People must understand that they live in a mixed city and therefore must be sensitive to the population's feelings. This Haggadah is a sheer provocation by settlers who came to live in Jaffa. They are looking to provoke the Arab public so that it will respond with rage. I hope someone will stop those who are inciting in time, so that the already tense situation won't boil over," he said.
The Tel Aviv Municipality responded by saying that the haggadot were distributed without its knowledge.
Earlier this week buses travelling through Jaffa were stoned in what was an apparent act of solidarity with east Jerusalem's Arabs, who rioted over Israel's decision to include two Jewish shrines in the West Bank in a national plan to rehabilitate some 150 Jewish and Zionist heritage sites, as well as over the announcement of a plan to build 1,600 additional apartments in east Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo neighborhood.
Tensions in Jaffa have grown in recent months in light of plans to build a closed apartment complex for national-religious Jews only. The plan, which was authorized by a court, enraged the local Arab community.