Last September it was Ariel Sharon's venture into the Haram al-Sharif, which Jews know as Temple Mount, that appeared to set off the latest Palestinian intifada against Israeli rule, in which hundreds of people, mostly Arabs, have since been killed.

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It was triggered by a visit by Mr Sharon, then the main opposition leader, to the rocky outcrop in Jerusalem that Jews call Temple Mount, Muslims call Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and both regard as among the holiest of places on earth.

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