Israel said today it would prevent a fringe rightwing Jewish group from inflaming Muslim sensitivities by ensuring it did not place a new cornerstone on the sensitive Jerusalem Temple Mount holy site.
Palestinians warned attempts by the Jewish Temple Mount Faithful group to carry the 4.5 tonne stone into the compound - known to Arabs as al-Haram al-Sharif - tomorrow would outrage Muslims and could fan the flames of their 10-month-old uprising.
"We have no intention of letting anyone go up the hill or hurting Muslim people. There will be no ceremony there. They are using this to create incitement against Israel," Acting Public Security Minister Ruby Rivlin told Reuters.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction called for a day of rage and urged Palestinians to mass on Sunday at the holy site to bar any attempt by the group to carry the stone into the compound.
"This is very, very serious. It's pouring fuel on the fire," senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the destruction of the first and second ancient Jewish temples on Temple Mount, an occasion Jews commemorate with the solemn fasting day of Tisha B'Av.
The Jewish group wants to lay the cornerstone as the first step in rebuilding the ancient Jewish temple which they believe will herald the coming of the Messiah.
Israel's high court upheld a decision on Wednesday to ban the Temple Mount Faithful from laying the cornerstone at the site. But the court said they could display their marble stone near the compound.