Palestinian Riots Raise Talk of 3rd Intifada

JERUSALEM (March 16) -- Hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinians clashed with Israeli police at several sites in East Jerusalem today, protesting Israel's rededication of an ancient synagogue in the Old City. The clashes raised fears of a third intifada, or uprising, amid an ongoing crisis in relations with the U.S.

At least 40 Palestinians and three policemen were slightly wounded in the clashes, when Palestinians threw stones and Israeli police responded with stun grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas.

The Islamist Hamas movement charged that the restoration work on the Hurva synagogue could endanger the Muslim holy site of the al-Aqsa mosque, some 400 yards away. Israel vehemently denied the accusations. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, called for a "day of rage" to protest this week's reopening of the synagogue, which was destroyed by Jordan in 1948. Several Arab parliament members warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions in Jerusalem could spark a new wave of violence.

Tensions have already been running high for weeks. First, Netanyahu included two West Bank Jewish sites -- the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, which is also holy to Muslims, and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem -- on a list of Jewish national heritage sites. Then, last week during Vice President Joe Biden's visit, Israel announced it would build 1,600 new homes for ultra-Orthodox Jews in East Jerusalem, which Israel recaptured in 1967. The announcement sparked the crisis with Washington. Special Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell postponed a planned visit today to Jerusalem, meant to restart indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Jerusalem Police Chief David Cohen insisted that the 3,000 police officers deployed in Jerusalem can contain the latest violence.

"We are seeing signs of disorderly conduct," he said. "But that is only a headline. We must be careful about characterizations and remarks being made."

But Palestinian officials and some Israeli-Arab parliamentarians are warning that the clashes are the beginning of a new intifada.

"The policies of the Netanyahu government are nothing less than ethnic cleansing and are the strongest possible incitement to a third intifada," said Arab parliamentarian Hanin Zuabi.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat also had a strong warning for Israel. "There is an explosive situation," he said. "Netanyahu's policies are tantamount to pouring oil on fire."

The first intifada began in Gaza in 1987 with a traffic accident that killed four Palestinian refugees and lasted until 1993. The second was sparked in September 2000 by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to the plaza that contains the al-Aqsa mosque, which had been the site of the biblical Jewish Holy Temples. That uprising lasted about five years.

"We are at a sensitive crossroad right now, and it could definitely develop into a third intifada," said Uri Dromi, a former director of Israel's Government Press Office. "There is a combination of the religious issue and the Palestinians feeling they can push Israel into a corner."

At the same time, Dromi said, he is not sure if the Palestinians have the "energy" for another prolonged conflict with Israel.