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Palestinian officials condemn Israeli minister’s visit to the Temple Mount as an “invasion,” a “provocative tour” that calls for the establishment of the “alleged Temple,” that beats the “drums of religious war”

Headline: "An Israeli minister and Parliament member are leading the settlers' invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque"
     "[Israeli] Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the occupation government Uri Ariel yesterday morning [July 8, 2018] invaded the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque (i.e., the Temple Mount) at the head of a group of settlers, from the direction of the Dung Gate [of Jerusalem’s Old City].
Together with the settlers, the Israeli minister held provocative tours at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in traditional Talmudic (i.e., Jewish) garb… Official [PA] Government Spokesman Yusuf Al-Mahmoud said that the Israeli minister of agriculture's invasion of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holiest site to the Arabs and Muslims (sic., the Kaaba in Mecca is Islam's holiest site), and his racist and occupation statements, go too far, create tension in our land, the region, and the world, and destroy all hope for peace, which the enlightened world is seeking ways to establish and cultivate. Al-Mahmoud added that the statements by Ariel – who from within the Al-Aqsa Mosque (sic., Jews who visit the Temple Mount do not enter the mosque itself) made an occupation c all with destructive Orientalist-colonialist roots to establish the alleged Temple in place of the Al-Aqsa Mosque – contradict all of the rules of morals, religion, and politics that are common to human beings…
The official spokesman held occupation [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his partner American President Donald Trump fully responsible for this dangerous escalation, which Netanyahu ordered a number of days ago, when he incited the Israeli Parliament members and his ministers to invade the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque (sic., Netanyahu lifted a ban on visiting the Temple Mount; see note below)…
[PA] Minister of Religious Affairs Sheikh Yusuf Ida'is also condemned the Israeli minister of agriculture and Israeli Parliament Member [Sharren Haskel’s] invasion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  Ida'is said that the renewal of these invasions is a dangerous escalation and an offense to the sensibilities of millions of Muslims, not only in Palestine but throughout the world…
Supreme Shari’ah Judge and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas’] advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash also condemned the recurring invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Jews, which are being led by the so-called 'Israeli minister of agriculture,' Uri Ariel.
Al-Habbash added: 'Through these actions, Israel is attempting to bring an end to the peace process. It is proving beyond a doubt that it does not want peace, and that [peace] is not on its agenda at all. It is beating the drums of religious war while it is inflaming the religious sensibilities of 1.5 billion Muslims throughout the world.’"

The article’s mention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision regarding the Temple Mount refers to a move in early July 2018, when Netanyahu rescinded his previous ban on Israeli Parliament members visiting the Temple Mount – which had been in place for nearly three years – and allowed them to visit once every three months.

During his visit to the Temple Mount on July 8, 2018, Israeli minister Uri Ariel said: “We hope and pray… that the Temple will be built”

The PA and its leaders consider all of the Temple Mount an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore they view any presence of Jews on the mount as an "invasion." It should be noted that Jews who visit the Temple Mount only enter some sections of the open areas, and do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock.

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