Tens of thousands of Muslims held a massive anti-Israel protest in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday, burning Israeli flags and demanding the “liberation” of Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque. The rally forced an Israeli diplomat to flee the city, and kicked off the “Global March to Jerusalem,” which is scheduled to culminate this Friday.

The Islamic group organizing the event reported that 100,000 Muslims participated in the rally. Arab media said the protest was spawned by anger at the participation of Israeli diplomat David Saranga in a Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (euromed) meeting at Morocco’s parliament. Morocco’s ruling party boycotted the meeting because of Saranga’s involvement, and many legislators and citizens voiced disapproval of his participation. At the rally, activists waved Palestinian flags, set Israeli flags on fire, and chanted for the freedom of the al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli occupation.

According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, thousands of Muslims stormed the building after the euromed meeting ended, and Saranga was taken out under heavy security through a side door and to the airport. Rather than spend another night in the Moroccan capital as planned, Saranga immediately boarded a flight to Paris.

The following day, Moroccan media reported that a 74-year-old Jewish man was murdered in the city of Fez. Witnesses said the murderer struck the victim repeatedly in the head with a hammer, and analysts believe the murder could be related to the anti-Semitic frenzy stirred up by the previous day’s rally. The perpetrator fled the crime scene and has not been arrested, according to reports.

Global March to Jerusalem

Protesters at Sunday’s rally also chanted, “A million martyrs are going to Jerusalem,” in reference to the “Global March to Jerusalem.” The march, planned for March 30, is already under way in Morocco and other locations throughout the Arab world, and is heading toward the countries that neighbor Israel—Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. Protests are also scheduled in the Palestinian-administrated territories, and against Israel’s embassies in major cities all over the globe.

Fatah Allah al-Raslan, one of the march’s coordinators, said it was called partly because many Muslims believe the efforts of their leaders to oust Jews from Israel are not aggressive enough: “The Arab silence on the Palestinian issue is nothing new. It stems from a conspiracy with the occupying power. We do not trust the Arab rulers to free Palestine, but the peoples who still make themselves be heard,” al-Raslan said.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh explained on February 24 that the recent uprisings throughout the Middle East have made conditions right for an overthrow of Jerusalem: “The Arab Spring brought the Islamic nation to the threshold of the city of Jerusalem,” Haniyeh said.

The Islamic AhlulBayt News Agency said the march’s purpose is to bring 1 million Muslims “as close as possible to East al-Quds (East Jerusalem),” with the goal of “liberating” the city from Jewish occupation.

For years the Trumpet has shown that Bible prophecy says half of Jerusalem will fall violently to the enemies of Israel. In March 2006, editor in chief Gerald Flurry said, “Zechariah 14 contains an end-time prophecy about half of Jerusalem falling to the enemy. … The Palestinians will take half of Jerusalem. They say even now that a Palestinian state must include East Jerusalem, which already is comprised mostly of Palestinians, and the Temple Mount. They want Jerusalem, with the Temple Mount, as their capital.”

The Trumpet has focused on this future Palestinian conquest of East Jerusalem because Bible prophecy says it will be the match igniting a series of explosive end-time events. Mr. Flurry explained (ibid):

The Palestinians could—and, I believe, will—conquer the Temple Mount and refuse access to anybody else. … Such a provocative act could in itself stir Europe to attack and conquer radical Islam. Europe would then control much of the Jerusalem area. Once it establishes that foothold, it will quickly double cross and conquer the Middle East Jews, America and Britain at the same time. This sequence of events will alarm the Asian powers, causing them to think they will be Europe’s next victim. So the Russians and Chinese will unite and plan an attack against Europe (Daniel 11:44-45). At that point, the armies of both these powers will gather in Megiddo (Armageddon) and head down to Jerusalem, where Christ will conquer them and set up the Kingdom of God. So you can see how all of this is linked. The trigger to all of it is the fall of half of Jerusalem. Then begins a step-by-step series of crises that leads to Christ’s electrifying return to this Earth.

Sunday’s anti-Israel rally in Morocco and the “Global March to Jerusalem” that is now under way show that the fulfillment of this landmark “trigger” prophecy could be very near. To understand more, read “Jerusalem Is About to Be Cut in Half.”