The Palestinian National Authority State Information Service has put an interesting little piece of compound fiction up on its website (it originated here).
Israel to Dig New Tunnel under Aqsa Mosque
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, January 3 (IslamOnline.net)-- Israel is planning to dig a new tunnel under Al-Aqsa mosque – Islam’s third holiest site – with eight million dollars donated by a Jewish American millionaire, a Palestinian organization revealed Friday, January 2.
The tunnel is designed to tighten the grip of the Israeli occupation forces on the sacred compound, protect Jews who visit it and Judaize the Old City, said Al-Aqsa Foundation for Reconstruction.
The "millionaire" isn't identified, nor is the "Palestinian organization." And what is the "Al-Aqsa Foundation for Reconstruction?" Ever hear of it?
The tunnel will run all the way under the compound reaching to Al-Selwan area which is inhabited by Palestinians, an Israeli architect was quoted by Israeli newspapers as saying.
Not surprisingly, neither the "Israeli architect" nor the "Israeli newspapers" are identified either.
Although no licenses were granted or details drawn for the plan to begin, finances are already on hand.
A well-heeled Jewish American donated eight million dollars for the project to come into reality, a source in Western Jerusalem Development Company said.
Now, amazingly enough, the only hit you'll get if you Google "Western Jerusalem Development Company" is -- you guessed it -- this article.
The wall and much of the area around it are Waqf property (a religiously and legally protected endowment), owned by Muslims since centuries ago.
"The wall" in question, by the way, is the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, a/k/a (erroneously) the "Wailing Wall," a/k/a the "Buraq Wall." Which Muslims took by force from its previous "owners," and which is now "owned" by the State of Israel.
The Western Jerusalem Development Company said the project is a realization of an all-time historic dream for Jews.
It is also an attempt to increase the number of Jewish tourists which plunged down after turbulence triggered by the inauguration of the first tunnel in 1996.
The Israeli Ministry of Religions attaches a major religious and national significance to the project.
As it is now banned from entering Al-Haram Al-Sharif for excavations, the tunnel will allow this to be carried out of the Buraq Wall, said rabbi Shamwael Rubeinbich of Wailing Wall Legacy Fund.
There's that imaginary "Western Jerusalem Development Company" again, along with another entity invented for purposes of this article, the "Wailing Wall Legacy Fund." (As noted here, "Wailing Wall" is a translation of a derrogatory Arabic expression -- El-Mabka, or "the Place of Weeping," -- picked up by the British and unfortunately adopted by many in the Western world, including Jews who are unaware of its origins.)
Notice how they keep mentioning that "first tunnel" from 1996? Almost as if the real goal of this story is a repise of the same sort of violence and mayhem incited by the lies about that other tunnel (i.e., the first "intifada"). They've gotten a lot of mileage out the rallying cry "Judaization of Jerusalem" since then and they clearly intend to get a lot more.
