Jerusalem - Stumbling Block?

Jerusalem heats up -

Israeli police and Palestinians clashed outside Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque on Friday and at least 35 people were injured, Israeli police and Palestinian medical workers said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israeli forces of "provocation" and "crossing red lines" in an effort to derail a resumption of peace negotiations expected shortly under U.S. mediation. In a statement, Abbas appealed to Washington to hold Israel back to prevent a "war of religion" in the Middle East.

Israel's security minister blamed Abbas's Islamist rivals Hamas for fomenting the trouble. It started after weekly prayers at the third holiest site in Islam, in an area that Jews also revere as the site of their biblical Temple.

The Real Effect
This issue is going to become more important as time goes on. While I made the mistaken assumption in 2006 that publication of an agenda equaled implementation of that agenda, the cycle remains. This area (Jerusalem, specifically the Temple Mount radiating out) is the focal point for what we essentially become the eye of the world. (A difficult concept to explain fully in a limited space.) Look for this area to become the stumbling block for the whole world as the Phoenix event is set into motion. Perhaps I will illustrate the concept more thoroughly in a later post. Until then, look for rhetoric and action to ratchet upwards like runners positioning in a race. Once the gun fires, watch out for the fireworks.