Israel Halts Construction of Mosque

Christians celebrated Israel’s decision Wednesday to halt construction of a large mosque that would sit next to the main Christian shrine in Nazareth, considered the town of Jesus’ boyhood, but Muslims were irate.

The building project had angered Christians worldwide--including in the Vatican--who said it was disrespectful to build a mosque just outside the Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest church in the Middle East. Tradition says the angel Gabriel foretold the birth of Jesus at the site.

The decision to halt construction drew a furious response from local Muslim leader Salman abu Ahmed, who called it a “declaration of war” on Israel’s large Muslim minority.

“It is an irresponsible decision,” he said. “If [the government] insists on its position, we will not hesitate to continue building.”

Police in Nazareth, a town of 70,000 in northern Israel, braced for protests by Muslims. The mosque has become a symbol of the growing political aspirations of Israel’s more than 1 million Muslim citizens, who make up about one-sixth of the population.

Israel’s handling of the Muslim-Christian dispute has drawn fire from Christian leaders, who protested the mosque construction and made repeated appeals to the Israeli government to step in.

During Easter 1999, the issue sparked street clashes between Nazareth’s Muslim and Christian residents.

President Bush has raised the subject with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who pledged to try to resolve the dispute. Pope John Paul II threatened to cancel a millennium visit to the Holy Land over the issue, and the Vatican said in November that construction of the mosque would “put this holy place in a permanent state of siege.”