Israel arrested on Tuesday a Palestinian leader after clashes with Muslim protesters in East Quds (Jerusalem) as a senior Palestinian official said Israel deliberately created a dangerous situation in the Holy city.
Raed Salah, a leader of Islamic Movement, told an Israeli newspaper on Monday that the clashes would last as long as Israel's occupation of the city and the mosque continued.
Israel arrested Salah several times and jailed him for two years in prison because of his statements about "defending" Holy land against Jewish "invasion".
He also has repeatedly called in recent days for Muslims in Israel and the Palestinian territories to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque.
"The mosque compound is Muslim, Palestinian and Arab, and Israel has no rights to the mosque or east Jerusalem," Salah said.
On Tuesday, Israeli police arrested Salah for his statements.
Palestinian leaders have issued dire warnings in the past week after police attacks on Palestinian protesters at al-Aqsa mosque in Quds' Old City, over attempts by Jewish religious extremists to raid the holy site, Reuters said.
Israeli security forces regularly prohibit young Muslim men from entering the compound housing the mosque.
Escalating tensions
"Israel is lighting matches in the hope of sparking a fire, deliberately escalating tensions in occupied East Quds rather than taking steps to placate the situation," chief peace negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement before meetings later this week with U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy.
"Israel is escalating tensions in order to further entrench its occupation of East Jerusalem," Erekat said.
About 70,000 people marched in the streets of Jerusalem on Tuesday, marking the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, police said.
Palestinian sources say they fear that "small brushfires" may quickly spiral out of control as they have done in the past, if the Israelis maintain a "heavy-handed" response instead of making an effort to deescalate tensions.
The Western-backed Palestinian government on Monday said it would "confront Israel" diplomatically over the rise in tension.
PHOTO CAPTION
Raed Salah, head of the Arab-Israeli Islamic Movement (L) and members of Neturei Karta, Ultra-Orthodox Jews who oppose Zionism, sit in a protest tent in East Jerusalem.
Agencies