The situation in Jerusalem, in light of continued Israeli measures to Judaize the Holy City, is serious, warned Arab League Assistant Secretary-General for Palestinian Affairs Mohamed Subaih. Subaih called on Arab countries to fulfill pledges they made toward Jerusalem at the Arab League summit held in Serit, Libya earlier this year. In a statement made on the 41st anniversary of the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, Subaih said the situation in Jerusalem now is much more serious than it was in 1969, the year of the attack. He warned that Israel is taking open steps to Judaize Jerusalem by 2020. Israel decided to carry out the 1969 attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to Subaih, despite both the re-emergence of the Palestinian resistance movement and considerable international stability in the region at the time. He added that Israel has not, since then, given up its plans to Judaize the city. Subaih urged immediate action against Israeli measures, which include excavations and the demolition of nearly 20,000 Palestinian homes, together with the expulsion of Palestinian leaders and citizens. Subaih also drew attention to 24 right-wing extremist organizations who are calling for the demolition of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the construction of a Jewish Temple on the site. He also cited tax-free money being pumped into Israel by "fundamentalist and fanatic racists" in the US in support of the Israeli plan. Subaih is the general coordinator of the upcoming Al-Aqsa international conference which will be held in Doha, Qatar early next year. He extended an invitation to each of the permanent representatives of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Libya to attend. The arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque took place on 21 August 1969 and was carried out by an Australian-Jewish tourist named Dennis Michael Rohan. The fire completely destroyed a pulpit (minbar) sent from Aleppo by Saladin, and gutted 1500 cubic meters of the southeastern wing of the mosque, nearly one third of the mosque's total surface area. Translated from the Arabic Edition
