Ammon News - The Al-Aqsa mosque fire was an arson attack on Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque, the primary prayer hall within the Al-Aqsa compound, on 21 August 1969. The attack was carried out by Australian citizen Denis Michael Rohan, who initially set fire to the pulpit.

The event has been described as "an act which plunged the Middle East into its worst crisis since the June, 1967, Arab-Israel war", and was a key catalyst for the creation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The 12th-century minbar of the al-Aqsa Mosque was destroyed in the fire.

Rohan had been in Jerusalem for almost six months, and frequently visited the area of the Temple Mount / Haram Al-Sharif / Al Aqsa, becoming friendly with the guides and guards of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. Rohan first tried to set fire to the mosque 10 days prior, at approximately 11:30 pm on 11 August 1969. Rohan poured kerosene through the keyhole of the south-east gate door, and inserted a kerosene-soaked cord into the keyhole, setting light to the end; however, his attempt failed.

The Israeli report on the event stated that on 21 August 1969, at approximately 6 am, Rohan entered the gate of Bani Ghanim with two containers and a water bottle filled with benzene and kerosene hidden in a haversack. He entered the Jami'a al-Aqsa through the main entrance at about 7 am. He placed the containers of benzene and kerosene below the steps of the minbar of Saladin, soaked a woollen scarf with kerosene placing one end of it upon the steps and the other end on the containers, and set alight the scarf. He left the building immediately after lighting the scarf, but was seen by many witnesses. A Palestinian technical report concluded that there were two separate fires, one in the area of the mihrab and a second in the ceiling of the south eastern part of the mosque.

The fire destroyed much of the southern and the southeastern parts of the mosque, including the 12th-century minbar of Saladin. 400 m2 of the southeastern ceiling was badly burnt, as were the ornamental mosaic dome and two marble pillars between the dome and the mihrab.

Rohan was arrested for the arson attack on 23 August 1969. He was tried, found to be insane, and hospitalised in a mental institution. On 14 May 1974 he was deported from Israel for further psychiatric treatment near his family". He was subsequently transferred to the Callan Park Hospital in Australia.