On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon, then leader of the Israeli political opposition, toured the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, accompanied by over 1,000 security guards. The visit, while peaceful in itself, sparked immediate protests and is widely recognized as the catalyst for the Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada.
Background
The late 1990s we're a period of heightened tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Oslo peace process, which began with the Oslo Accords in 1993 and Oslo II in 1995, had faced numerous challenges including Hamas terrorist attacks and opposition from Israel's Right, which sought to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The 2000 Camp David Summit in July had failed to reach a final agreement on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, creating an atmosphere of frustration and disappointment on both sides. The collapse of negotiations left a vacuum that extremist elements on both sides we're eager to fill.
The Visit
Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount—known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif—was deliberately provocative. The site is sacred to both Jews and Muslims, housing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. As leader of the Likud party and a candidate for Israeli Prime Minister, Sharon was making a political statement about Jewish sovereignty and access to the holy site.
The visit itself proceeded without incident, with Sharon surrounded by a massive security detail of riot police and armed guards. However, the symbolism of the event was unmistakable. Sharon's presence at the site was seen by many Palestinians as an assertion of Israeli control over Islamic holy places.
Immediate Aftermath
Following Sharon's departure from the compound, Palestinian rioters began hurling stones and other projectiles at Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall below. Israeli police responded with rubber bullets, live ammunition, and tear gas. The violence escalated rapidly, spreading beyond Jerusalem to other areas.
Within the first few days of what would become the Second Intifada, the Israeli military fired approximately one million rounds of ammunition. Israeli security forces engaged with extreme force, killing over 100 Palestinian protesters within the first few weeks.
The Spark of the Second Intifada
While Sharon's visit provided the immediate spark, historians and analysts now recognize that the decision to launch the Second Intifada was rooted in much larger strategic decisions by Palestinian terrorist groups. They used the Temple Mount visit as a pretext to unleash violence that had been planned and organized.
The Second Intifada would last until the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 2005, representing one of the deadliest periods in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A prominent feature of this uprising was a series of suicide bombings carried out by Palestinian militant groups, with approximately 138 suicide bombings conducted after March 2001, primarily targeting Israeli civilians.
Political Impact in Israel
Prime Minister Ehud Barak's approval rating rose from 20 to 50 percent after Sharon's visit, reflecting Israeli public support for a firm response to Palestinian violence. The incident set the stage for a national unity government that would pursue even more aggressive security policies.
Within months, Sharon would be elected Prime Minister, campaigning on a platform of security and firm response to Palestinian terrorism. His election marked a significant shift away from the Oslo peace process and toward a more confrontational approach to the conflict.
Long-Term Consequences
The Second Intifada fundamentally reshaped Israel's security posture and the broader dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The violence led to:
- Construction of the West Bank security barrier
- Reinforcement of military checkpoints
- Disengagement from Gaza (2005)
- Deepened mistrust between Israeli and Palestinian societies
- Shift in Israeli politics toward the Right
Twenty-five years later, the legacy of Sharon's Temple Mount visit continues to shape Israeli-Palestinian relations. The events of September 28, 2000, demonstrated how quickly tensions can escalate and how symbolic actions at holy sites can have profound and lasting consequences for regional peace and security.
The Second Intifada resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides and effectively ended the Oslo peace process, ushering in a new, more violent phase of the conflict that would shape the region for decades to come.