Started in late September, 2000. The date varies depending on the event that may have been the "official" trigger.
Feb - 8- 2005 Sharm El Shiekh Summit Conference. Abbas and Sharon announce an end to violence.
For some the Intifada is over - for others it will never end. There is already talk of a third Intifada by those who believe the second one is over. The Intifada - uprising - continues whether it is "officially" over or not.
This is seen as a debatable issue. On September 28, 2000, the Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, visited the Temple Mount. This was legal and it was a peaceful visit. He did take Israeli soldiers with him for protection. They go with him everywhere. There are two main reasons he went. One was to make sure people of all faiths had access to worship there. From 1948 to 1967, Jews were not allowed to go there. After the 1967 war, all faiths (including Muslims) were was allowed because Israeli soldiers controlled that area. Now the Muslims have some control and this is an issue to be resolved with final peace agreements. Sharon did announce in advance that he was going to visit, and the Muslim Waqf, the Muslim political body in charge of the Temple Mount, was informed and did not object.
The other reason was to inspect the area. The Muslims were building on the site and Sharon went to view the archaeological damage to the Temple Mount being done. At no time did Sharon ever try to enter a Muslim Mosque.
While this seems to be the worlds "official" starting point, interviews with Palestinian leaders have confirmed that the Intifada was already planned and they were just waiting for the right time to start. An interview on TV the night before showed Palestinian leaders urging Muslims to go to the temple mount to protest the visit and encouraged the uprising.
Temple Mount Destruction: The Arab Waqf on the Temple Mount, which is controlled by the "Palestinian" Authority of the terrorist Arafat of the PLO, continue their vandalism, destruction, and diggings on the Temple Mount. Their purpose is to destroy all the remains and evidence of the Temple on the Temple Mount in an attempt to deny its existence. At this time, they are undertaking an intensive work of destruction on the eastern side of the Temple Mount. Members of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement have seen heavy equipment and tractors working and wreaking terrible damage to very unique remains from the Temple which can never be redressed.(1)
Officials of the Israeli Antiquities Authority stated that the diggings on the Temple Mount, especially over the last few years, have caused more damage than any other act of destruction since the destruction of the Second Temple.(1)
After his visit, the Palestinians rioted as a form of protest.
The media has said this event triggered the riots. There was a fact-finding probe known as the 2001 Report of the Sharm El-Sheikh Fact Finding Committee, led by U.S. Senator George Mitchell. This report clearly states that Sharon's visit was not the real cause.
In March 2001, the Palestinian Authority communications minister said the intifada was planned following the Camp David Summit in July 2000.
Congressional hearing showed that the Palestinians had pre meditated this intifada by releasing Palestinian criminals locked up in jail. There also was special training for Palestinian police on how to counteract the Israeli military presence that was anticipated once the intifada started.
The Congressional hearings was a review of the Sharm El-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committees' final report on what happened. The report states "... the immediate catalyst for the violence was the breakdown of the Camp David negotiations on July 25, 2000, and the "widespread appreciation in the international community of Palestinian responsibility for the impasse. In this view, Palestinian violence was planned by the PA leadership and was aimed at provoking and incurring Palestinian casualties as a means of regaining the diplomatic initiative."
Suicide bombers: This intifada was different because it used suicide bombers as a source of terrorism against Israel. Surviving family members are openly paid thousands of dollars from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, when a person comes forward and becomes a suicide bomber.
The Washington Times reported on April 9, 2001 that the Saudi Arabian government has already paid out $33 million to families of Palestinians killed or injured during the Intifada and, in December, earmarked another $50 million for payments. The Saudi Committee for Support of the Al-Aqsa Intifada distributes payments of $5,333 to the families of the dead, with no distinction in compensation to families of suicide bombers and those killed by Israeli military action, the paper said.
This is causing parents to teach their children that this is a proud death, and they will be considered heroes. Islamic religious leaders are also teaching of rewards in heaven for being a suicide bomber and killing Jews.
Other articles of interest may include:
1). The Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount 052-288442
2). Quote from Israel insider by Ellis Shuman May 1, 2002
