JERUSALEM (CWNews.com) - Israel's government on Thursday said it had given Muslims in Nazareth an ultimatum to dismantle a tent on a controversial plot of land where they intend to build a mosque.
Christians and Muslims over the past year have battled over a plot of land next to the Church of the Annunciation where Christians want to build a plaza to accommodate pilgrims and Muslims want to build a mosque. Last month, Israel sided with the Muslims, allowing them to build a slightly scaled-down building if they remove a prayer tent they had erected. Christians, including the Vatican, were incensed by the perceived affront.
It's like a bleeding wound, we cannot ignore it," said Uri Mor, director of the Religious Affairs Ministry's Christian Communities Department, referring to the Nazareth dispute. Mor said that the Israeli government has given Muslims an ultimatum to dismantle the tent they erected and which they raise for prayers every Friday during the month of Ramadan.
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