Abbas: Israel is trying to change the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque and trying to divide it
Headline: “The president: ‘Israel must implement the status quo that existed in the Al-Aqsa before 2000”
“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel must implement the status quo regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s status and the [Jerusalem] Islamic Waqf [Foundation] as it was before 2000, and not what it is trying to force now. The president added at the beginning of the PLO Executive Committee meeting held yesterday [Nov. 4, 2015], Wednesday afternoon, in the presidential compound in Ramallah: ’We have emphasized more than once to the relevant bodies that what Israel is trying to implement at the moment at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is not accurate, and not right, and is a falsification of the facts.’ … [The committee] called for respect of the holiness of the site, including its entire plaza which sits on 144 dunam (approximately 35.6 acres -Ed.), as a site holy to Muslims, as the first direction of prayer and the third holiest [Islamic] sanctuary, which will not be divided in any way by areas and times, under any pretext… The committee discussed the situation of the district and city of Hebron and the crimes being carried out by the occupation forces and herds of settlers against the [Palestinian] citizens (this refers to the many Palestinian stabbings taking place in Hebron and Israel’s response to them –Ed.). The committee expressed approval of the widespread public participation in the activities of the blessed popular uprising, and emphasized that the great sacrifices the district made and is making will remain as a beacon which will light the path of liberation from the occupation and getting rid of the cancer of settlement and settlers, for the generations.”
“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel must implement the status quo regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s status and the [Jerusalem] Islamic Waqf [Foundation] as it was before 2000, and not what it is trying to force now. The president added at the beginning of the PLO Executive Committee meeting held yesterday [Nov. 4, 2015], Wednesday afternoon, in the presidential compound in Ramallah: ’We have emphasized more than once to the relevant bodies that what Israel is trying to implement at the moment at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is not accurate, and not right, and is a falsification of the facts.’ … [The committee] called for respect of the holiness of the site, including its entire plaza which sits on 144 dunam (approximately 35.6 acres -Ed.), as a site holy to Muslims, as the first direction of prayer and the third holiest [Islamic] sanctuary, which will not be divided in any way by areas and times, under any pretext… The committee discussed the situation of the district and city of Hebron and the crimes being carried out by the occupation forces and herds of settlers against the [Palestinian] citizens (this refers to the many Palestinian stabbings taking place in Hebron and Israel’s response to them –Ed.). The committee expressed approval of the widespread public participation in the activities of the blessed popular uprising, and emphasized that the great sacrifices the district made and is making will remain as a beacon which will light the path of liberation from the occupation and getting rid of the cancer of settlement and settlers, for the generations.”