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NEWS ÜVERVIEW
UnderstandingWorld Events and Trends
Temple Mount
Conflict
J
erusalem's sensitive
Temple Mount is
increasingly becoming a
point of conflict between
Jews and Muslims. Jewish
activists are demanding that
Israel establish direct control
over the holiest site in
Judaism, wh·ich is also one
of lslam's holiest places.
lsraelis, however, are
divided over whether Jewish
law allows entry to the area,
which was captured by
Israel in 1967 but turned
over to Muslim religious
authorities to administer.
lsrael's chief rabbis and
most rabbinical authorities
forbid Jews from entering
the Temple Mount area for
fear of violating its sanctity
by inadvertently walking over
the site of the "Holy of
Holies," the innermost
sanctuary of their ancient
Temple. lnstead, most Jews
pray at the foot of the
western ("Wailing" ) wall , the
one remnant left of the
outermost enclosures of
Herod's Temple.
Now, small but
increasingly vocal religious
groups have begun lobbying
for Jewish prayer on the
Temple Mount. Sorne are
even advocating the
building of a synagogue
there.
An lsraeli specialist of
Jewish-Arab relations
observed that a Jewish
attempt to take over the
Mount "could trigger a
confrontation of apocalyptic
Fishing in
Troubled
Waters
N
ations such as Kiribati ,
formerly the Gilbert
lslands, and the Solomon
WORLD WHEAT MARKET
WHEAT PRODUCTION
WHEAT CONSUMPTION
ANO AFRICA
SOURCE: UNITEO STATES OEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
proportions." Observers
agree that such an action
would arouse the full wrath
of the world's 800 million
Muslims, with maíor
repercussions for the Jewish
state. •
lslands receive most of their
economic vitality from fish
swimming near their coasts.
These island states all claim
" exclusive economic zones"
of 200 miles around their
coasts. The United States
does not recognize these
claims, as far as tuna is
concerned.
The U.S. position angers
these island nations. They
insist American fishing boats
ply their waters illegally in
violation of international
"Law of the Sea"
regulations. These boats
constantly fish within the
200-mile zones without
paying for the right to fish in
these waters.
The United States, which
also claims a 200-mile zone,
points to the irony of an
island perhaps only 15 miles
wide with only a few
thousand people and no
navy claiming 200 miles of
ocean to either side.
Collectively, these islands
in the Pacific claim about
5.6 million square miles of
sovereign territory-almost
twice the size of the
continental United
States-closing off much of
the Pacific to open fishing.
The older generation of
island leaders, who
remember the U.S. Marines
liberation in World War 11,
have been largely
succeeded by younger
leaders susceptible to Soviet
offers of economic
assistance.
The Soviets haven' t made
many inroads yet. Only
Kiribati accepted the
Soviets' offer of about
US$1 million a year to fish in
their waters, and the
agreement may not be
extended. •
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