Fatah proclaims anti-israel showdown Friday. Jordan’s king talks to Abbas

The Tanzim branch of Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Wednesday declared next Friday a day of major Palestinian confrontation with Israel's security forces, dedicated to victory for “Blessed Al Aqsa.” Fatah leaders confirmed this decision.

DEBKAfile: Tanzim, the Fatah movement’s militia, has tens of thousands of members, some of whom bear arms. It has a history of leading Palestinian uprisings against Israel, alongside the fundamentalist Islamic Hamas. Its belligerent declaration Wednesday coincided with Jordan’s King Abdullah’s telephone conversation with Abbas. The king tried to de-escalate the Temple Mount crisis, after Israel made the gesture of dismantling the metal detectors and cameras installed there. The king and Palestinian leader also agreed to work together to restore what they called Al Aqsa’s “historic and legal status quo.”