- In an exclusive interview with CWNews.com, the chief Islamic leader of Jerusalem has praised suicide bombers as "the most noble of all men."

In an interview conducted by Michael Hirst and Nicholas Jubber, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem offered no signs of willingness to compromise, or to accept the legitimacy of the Israeli state. Ekrima Said Sabri confirmed that he had never spoken to a Jew, and would not do so until the Israeli occupation ends and Palestinians regain their homes.

The Islamic leader placed all blame on Israel-- and in particular, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon-- for the current tensions in the Middle East. He insisted that only the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, in accordance with UN resolutions, could bring peace to the region.

Ekrima Said Sabri is the Imam of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem-- known to Muslims as the Haram Al Sharif. This was the site of a recent clash between Muslim worshippers and Orthodox Jewish activists who sought to lay the cornerstone of a new Temple on land currently claimed by Islamic leaders. The Grand Mufti told CWN that Muslims would resist any such gesture, "even by force."

In fact, the Imam expressed unabashed enthusiasm for the use of force against Israel. Asked whether terrorist bombers are justified even when they kill innocent children, he replied: "Even if they kill all Israelis."

Sabri added that he hopes for the emergence of a Palestinian leader like Saladin: the military chieftain who defeated the Crusaders. "Saladin was forced to use arms because he was facing arms from the Crusaders," the Grand Mufti said. "We considered the Crusaders occupiers and now we consider the Jews occupiers also."

Sabri insisted that Israeli policies are designed to defeat and subjugate the Palestinian people. He said: "That's how the Israeli mentality works. Israel doesn't work for peace; it tries to show the world that it wants peace, but what they want is the complete surrender of the Palestinians."

The Imam complained that Israeli government policies, denying the rights of Palestinians, have the endorsement of the United States. "All American influence, since the arrival of the Palestinian Authority, has been on the Palestinians," he charged.