When I first heard about yesterday's attack on Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher in "the Old City of Jerusalem," I felt a little sick. I momentarily assumed the attackers were Israeli zealots. I really should have known better, shouldn't I.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher was assaulted by scores of Palestinian rioters during a visit to Jerusalem's Temple Mount late Monday afternoon.
Maher, 68, who was lightly wounded in the attack, was quickly surrounded by his Egyptian security men, who rushed him from the site via the Mugrabi Gate.
Ok, but still. How could Israeli security let this happen? Oh.
By previous arrangement with Maher's Egyptian security team, Jerusalem police, who are charged with security at the site, walked with the minister up to the mosque and, in keeping with tradition, remained outside the site as the Egyptian entourage entered.
Of course. I forgot. "In keeping with tradition," my foot. It's the law. No Jews are allowed in the mosque, right? But wait.
He received first aid by Magen David Adom medics at the Western Wall plaza, and after complaining of shortness of breath was then taken – by armored vehicle – to Jerusalem's Hadassah-University Hospital at Ein Kerem, where he was kept under observation for three hours before being released.
Now isn't that lovely? The nice Jewish doctors obviously took good care of him.
As Maher made his way into the mosque, scores of Palestinians, shouting Allahu Akbar ("God is great") converged on him and began berating him for his meetings with Israeli leaders.
"Traitor! Collaborator!" they screamed at him, with some of them pelting him with their shoes, both inside and outside the mosque.
"I'm going to choke, I'm going to choke," a panicked-looking Maher was heard saying, according to witnesses, as one of the shoes – which by Muslim tradition are taken off at the entrance to mosques – apparently hit him in the face.
Striking someone with a shoe is considered a great sign of Muslim insult.
Here it comes. . .
At this point, Jerusalem police rushed into the mosque and helped the Egyptian bodyguards extradite Maher from the compound, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.
Oh, so it's ok for Jews to enter the mosque if they're needed to rescue a foreign Muslim dignitary (and his apparently less-than-effective bodyguards) from physical assault and other indignities by other Muslims. Hmmm.
Anyway, the palestinian authorities are furious. Mortified. They will get to the bottom of this atrocity.
Some PA officials first claimed that the attack was instigated by Israel to drive a wedge between the Palestinians and Egypt. But when pictures of Maher being assaulted by scores of Palestinians were aired, there was great embarrassment among senior PA officials.
According to these officials, an investigation was under way to determine who was behind the attack. "Those responsible for this attack will be severely punished," said one official. "We have already taken some measures in this regard."
And I'll bet they have.
The official expressed deep concern that Monday's humiliation of the visiting minister would seriously harm relations with Cairo.
(S. has reminded me that Arafat's "relations with Cairo" have not been too good for quite some time.)
