UK Media Watch prompts Indy correction to 2nd Intifada claim

As we pointed out in our communication with Indy editors, the Temple Mount is not "officially in Palestinian territory". Rather, it's under the administrative control of the Jordanian Islamic Waqf, and under Israeli security control. Jews are allowed to visit but not pray there.
A Oct. 9th article in The Independent by Lee Williams (Intifada: What is it – and what does a third uprising mean for the region?) included the following passage:

The second uprising in 2000 involved far more than rocks and stones. Also known as the “Al Aqsa intifada” the conflict was set off by Ariel Sharon’s visit to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, officially in Palestinian territory. Palestinians claimed that Israelis were planning to retake the mount where the Al Aqsa mosque is situated – one of the holiest shrines in Islam.

However, as we pointed out in our communication with Indy editors, the Temple Mount is not “officially in Palestinian territory”. Rather, it’s under the administrative control of the Jordanian Islamic Waqf, and under Israeli security control.  Jews are allowed to visit but not pray there.

Additionally, we complained about the failure of the article to note that the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. 

Their editors agreed, and revised the passages accordingly.

Here’s the new text.

The second uprising in 2000 involved far more than rocks and stones. Also known as the “Al Aqsa intifada” the conflict was set off by Ariel Sharon’s visit to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, which is hotly disputed territory. Palestinians claimed that Israelis were planning to retake the mount where the Al Aqsa mosque is situated – one of the holiest shrines in Islam. But Temple Mount is also the holiest site in Judaism. 

We commend Indy editors for the substantive correction. 

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