[cite book |Hewitt= |Don= |authorlink=Don_Hewitt |title=Tell Me a Story: 50 Years and 60 Minutes in Television |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=i0-MfPgY6CIC&pg=PA163&lpg=PA163&dq=sixty+minutes+al+aqsa+mike+wallace+1990&source=web&ots=9epTzYtPtF&sig=EwOS1mCxXb3JkdZjm82ZtkXPDOo&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA163,M1 |accessdate=2008-10-11 |year=2001 |publisher=Public Affairs Press |location=Cambridge, MA |isbn=1586480170 ] . According to Palestinian reports [PHRIC Palestine Human Rights Information Centre 30 October 1990] , the incident started at 10:45 when Israeli Border Police tear gassed girls and women at the Dome of the Rock. The men, who were at the Al Aqsa Mosque ran to their defence. The Israeli Border Police started shooting , later occupied the Haram al-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary after intense automatic gunfire lasting 29 minutes [Mount of Olives Video 8 10 1990] . ] Background
The Al Aqsa Mosque is part of the Haram al-Sharif , which also includes the Dome of the Rock. The Haram al-Sharif is known to the Jews as the Temple Mount. For both, this is very holy land.
The Moslems who attended prayers that day, came in lager than usual numbers, due to the fact that a radical Israeli group, the Temple Mount Faithful, planned to lay a corner-stone for the Jewish (Third Temple of Jerusalem) [CBS's 60 minutes, Mike Wallace, December 1990] [The Village Voice,Sect,Lies and Video Tape, Micheal Emory ] on the complex which would threaten existing Moslem shrines.
The Israeli Zimir Commission Report
Found that the Israeli Police and Border Police had reacted in self defence, out of concern for worshippers at the Western (Wailing)wall ( though no Israeli was injured enough to stay in hospital) [CBS's 60 Minutes , Mike Wallace, Dec 1990] and for two trapped police officers trapped in the Police Station at the north end of the complex. They were forced to fight their way in to save them. This information was countered by Palestinian sources who said the police officers had already been safely escorted out to safety by Al Aqsa Mosque Waqf officials. Additionally, none of the people killed that day were within hundreds meters of the Police Station where the officers were supposedly trapped(according to Mike Wallace of CBS's 60 Minutes) [CBS's 60 Minutes,Mike Wallace,December 1990] . The Israeli Police, from their vantage point over-looking the complex could have seen this as I did from the opposite perspective on the Mount of Olives [see Mount of Olives Video, YouTube ,Ikbis ] .
The Mount of Olives Video
This video of the massacre, now to be seen at: alaqsa81090 (YouTube) or alaqsamassacre81090 (IKBIS) confirms the following claims made by CBS's 60 Minutes, PHRIC and other sources such as the Village Voice [Village Voice] ( see article "Sects, Lies and Video Tape" "Micheal Emory"). That Moslem officials of the Al Aqsa Mosque pleaded with the Israeli Police and Border Police to stop shooting so that the wounded could be treated. Begged the Palestinian youth to stop throwing stones at the police and to return to the mosque for their own safety. That the Mosque officials pleaded to the Israeli Police to let the ambulances in to treat the wounded. That nobody is seen any where near the the Police Station in the north of the complex where the Israeli Zamir Commission into the Massacre said police were in danger. One can clearly see in this video that they were not in any immediate danger(irrespective of Al Aqsa Mosque official claims that they had already escorted the 2 Israeli Policemen out to safety). That once the ambulances were allowed in by the Israeli Police, they were shot at and tear gassed . One sees the ambulances arrive, you hear intense automatic gunfire, see tear gas canisters land directly next to the ambulances, and then the ambulances reverse extremely quickly and park out of sight and range of the continued Israeli automatic gunfire. [Mount of Olives Video, 8 10 1990 see alaqsa81090, YouTube] [See alaqsamassacre81090, IKBIS] This confirms CBS's 60 Minutes report that many of those injured were injured while helping the wounded [CBS's 60 Minutes, Mike Wallace, December 1990] . Many sources such as PHRIC [Palestine Human Rights Information Centre,Special Report"Massacre of Palestinians at Haram Al Sharif", October 30 1990, ] or UN Security Council commissioned preliminary report into the massacre [UN Security Council "Resolution 672 Report" on Massacre 24 October 1990 / 673] , as well as CBS's 60 Minutes, NRK; Norway's Radio and Television [Television Documentary NRK, "Black Monday" October 1991 Karsten Tveit] , and The Village Voice ["Sects, Lies and Video Tape", Micheal Emory November 1990 ] the Israeli Human Rights group B'Tselem [ B'Tselem : "Loss of Control: The Temple Mount Events", Report 14 October 1990] came to similar conclusions that excessive force was used by the Israeli Police and Border Police.
Audio Translation
The audio part of the Mount of Olives Video is a crucial piece of evidence. Much reported (in the US, World and Israeli Media ) Israeli claims that this was a riot by Palestinians that got out of control(see CBS's 60 Minutes), are proved false by the audio track. The Deputy Mufti of Jerusalem, who was accused of calling on Palestinians to kill Jews is false, and the opposite the facts. As a result of this video, he was released from detention and cleared of all allegations against him. The Deputy Mufti repeatedly begs the Palestinian worshippers NOT to confront the Israeli Police, to stay away from the Western (Wailing) Wall area, to return to the Al Aqsa mosque. He begs the Police to stop shooting bullets and tear gas, to allow medical workers and ambulances in to treat the injured(this backs up Palestinian claims that the Israeli Police delayed rescue efforts, creating an even higher death toll).
The following text is a translation prepared by the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv and published by the Palestine Human Rights Information Center in their Special Investigative Report "The Massacre of Palestinians at Haram Al Sharif " 30 October 1990 (PHRIC)
Transcript of Calls from The Al Aqsa Mosque
"This is a translation of the transcript of the calls from the Al Aqsa Mosque on 8 October 1990 which were recorded on video tape. All comments made in brackets are corresponding events seen or heard on the tape. The tape begins at 10:53am (Jerusalem time) and ends at about 11.27am. The sound of the speakers (there are as many as 3 maybe more who use the mosque's public address system on that day) from the mosque can be heard as the video starts , but the words are not clear until 11:10 (when an external, directional microphone is added to the video camera).
10:55 first lull in the shooting
11:00 first ambulance siren heard
11:04 sniping
11:05 shooting intensifies, possibly the beginning of the Israeli Police assault
11:07 (the Police arrive for the first time in the Al Aqsa complex)
11:10 Do not shoot at the Moslems, or at the plaza. Do not shoot in their Holy Place .. We consider you , the Israeli authorities responsible for this shooting and for everything happening in Al Aqsa.
11:11 (first ambulance appears in the plaza (Al Aqsa complex)
11:12 (first ambulance tear gassed)
11:13 I address the Police Commander: Please ask your troops to stop shooting. Please stop the killing. There are many wounded people and many people killed as well. We consider you responsible for the killings and everything happening here under all circumstances. I address the Moslems: Go inside the Mosque. We do not want the plaza to become a battlefield. We want the mosque to be treated as a mosque and the Police should respect the holiness of these mosques. I request the Doctors, Nurses and ambulances to come quickly and treat the wounded. We hold the Israeli authorities responsible for all that is happening. We will not accept bloodshed in this place. This holy place. Please stop shooting. There are wounded people who need help.
11:15 I am asking the Police Commander to stop the shooting and to come and speak with us. We welcome you. We do not want bloodshed. I ask the Police to stop shooting bullets and tear gas. This is a mosque. Please.
11:16 We ask the Doctors, Nurses and ambulances to come and help the wounded. We ask the Police Commander to give orders to stop shooting in the area. This is a holy place. We see you as responsible for this massacre. We did not attack anyone. We did not hit anyone. You are the one who started shooting at Moslems first. We were praying. Therefore, I am asking you to cease fire. Withdraw from the Mosque. You will never be allowed to take the Mosque, even over our dead bodies. Stop shooting in this place. Do not kill Moslems. We are not scared to die. To die and be a Martyr in the name of God is the holiest thing in Islam. We are not afraid to be killed. You must understand that and you must leave this place and stop shooting.
11:18-11:21 (intense automatic gunfire) You stupid authorities! Stop killing and shooting! We have many wounded. Stop shooting! This is Al Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest place for Moslems. You are responsible. (Al Aqsa Mosque tear gassed) Allah Akbar!Allah Akbar! Leave our mosque. By killing us you are bringing your end quickly. Your hour will arrive soon. We have a lot of wounded and dead people. Please! What have you done!?!? Allow the ambulances to enter! Open the gates for the ambulances and Doctors. Do you not know what mercy means!?!?
11:21 (gunfire continues) Dear Moslem youth: In order to protect your holy blood I ask you to go to Al Aqsa Mosque and women to the Dome of the Rock. We ask you to help the wounded. To the occupying forces:To you, the cruel occupying forces I say stop shooting tear gas and bullets. Cease fire in the mosque plaza. I beg you to allow our Doctors, Nurses and ambulances to enter the area and to help us. I repeat and beg you to cease fire and to allow our medical staff to come and help us treat our wounded. To the Moslems: I repeat that the youth should go to the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the women to the Dome of the Rock so that we can treat the wounded and hope that the authorities will stop this massacre here. Dear beloved people, we ask you to stay near the Al Aqsa Mosque so that we can treat our wounded and collect our victims.To the Security Forces: You, the Police and occupying forces. Stop shooting and cease fire . Please stop shooting. The Angels of Good are cursing you. History will curse you. Please stop shooting. To the Moslems: I ask my young girls and boys to go to the mosque. Dear young people: Please do not stand close to the soldiers and do not confront them. Do not let them kill you. They are well equipped. Do not be foolish and die so easily. You should be more mature about death. To the people outside the Haram (Al Aqsa complex): Please send Doctors and ambulances to help us and tell the people that Al Aqsa is begging for help!
11:22-11:27 (intense automatic gunfire) In the name of God the Merciful and his Prophet Mohammad! Please, soldiers of Heaven!!! Come and rescue us! Oh, dear young people. Do not get close and leave the area around the Western(Wailing)Wall and the Moroccan Gate. The Israelis are very well equipped and ready. They will shoot you. (Dome of the Rock tear gassed) Go to the Al Aqsa Mosque so we can end this violation and protect ourselves. Do not go to the Mahkama building yard. You will be exposed and the Police and Border Guards will shoot you from above. Do not expose your bodies to the bullets of the well equipped controlling occupying forces. Dear young people, to be able to protect your life , we ask you to got to Al Aqsa Mosque.( Police, Border Police and soldiers appear on screen.Tear gas is thrown into Al Aqsa Mosque) Please keep away from the Western (Wailing) Wall. They will kill you! We have to help our wounded. They are shooting live ammunition at you! We do not want you to die because you are the guardians and defenders of Islam and the Al Aqsa Mosque. The women should go to the Dome of the Rock, men to Al Aqsa. To the Police and Border Police: Stop shooting! Stop killing! Stop the massacre!"
11:27 (4 soldiers are seen running along Al Aqsa Mosque(southern Al Aqsa complex on both the east and west sides, is completely empty),one soldier drops his machine gun, picks it up, turns around and continues shooting)- tape ends
The Statistics
Of those killed that day(none of them Israeli, according to CBS's 60 Minutes not one Israeli spent more than one night in hospital [CBS's 60 Minutes, Mike Wallace, December 1990] ) 17 were shot in the head and/or chest. Two of the dead were shot while attending to the wounded. Many sustained multiple gun-shot wounds. One shot in the back of the head (a 15 year old boy running away from the clash). According to PHRIC(Palestine Human Rights Information Centre) [Palestine Human Rights Information Centre , "Special Report into the Massacre of Palestinians at Haram Al Sharif",30 October 1990 ] : the youngest was 15 and the oldest 61 years old.
These are the Al Aqsa Martyrs and their wounds: [Palestine Human Rights Information Centre," Special Report into the Massacre of Palestinians at Haram Al Sharif", 30 October 1990] .
Ribhi Rajabi 61, shot 4x in the back 1x chest
Izzedinne Yasini 15, shot 6x in the head, chest, stomach, legs
Fayez Abu Sneineh 18, shot in the back of the head
Majdi Abu Sbeih 17, shot 2x stomach, chest
Ayman Ali Shami 18, shot in the back of the neck
Majdi Abu Sneineh 17, shot 5x in the chest
Burhan Kashour 19, shattered head
Jadu Rejah Zahdeh 24, shot 2x head, chest
Ibrahim Qader Ghurab 31, shot 2x chest
Ibrahim Idkeidek 16, shot 6x neck, side, legs
Maryam Maktoub 52, shot in the eye
Mohammed Sneineh 30, shot 3x head, neck, arm
Nimer Nimer Dweik 25, shot 4x eye,chest, stomach, hand
Adnan Jinadi 28 shot 3x stomach
Musa Murshad Sweiti 27, shot 2x head, back
Fawzi Ismaiil Sheikh 63, shot 1x head
Abdel Karim Za'Atreh 40, shot, unknown
Investigation Blocked
The UN Security Council agreed without veto in UN Security Council Resolutions 672/673,that the massacre must be investigated ["UN Security Council Resolution 672", October 1990] in light of the video evidence mentioned above. The Israelis blocked this investigation ["UN Security Council Resolution 673" which "deplores the Israeli Government's refusal to accept the UN investigation stipulated in "UN Security Council Resolution 672" " to enter Israel ] and it never came about .
References
