PA Mufti calls on Palestinians to come and defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque “regardless of the cost and sacrifices required”

Headline: " [PA] Grand Mufti [Sheikh Muhammad Hussein] condemned the holding of a Jewish memorial service at the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza"

"[PA] Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and preacher at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Muhammad Hussein condemned the holding of a Jewish memorial service (memorial for 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel who was stabbed to death in her sleep –Ed.) at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza, as several extreme settlers invaded the mosque plaza in order to participate in this service, under the supervision of the [Israeli] Jerusalem district police commander and senior officers…

The mufti said: 'This criminal attack against the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is nothing but one link in the chain of ongoing escalation, in preparation for imposing the division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by areas and times, and it is part of a process to change its existing historical status.' …Likewise, he called to everyone who can to come to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to invest every effort in order to visit it and strengthen the presence there in order to defend it, and emphasized the adherence of our people to their mosque, regardless of the cost and sacrifices required, until Allah inherits the land and everything in it."
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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.

"Division according to areas and times" refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount, what the Palestinians call the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza. The law seeks to designate separate prayer times and areas of the site for Muslims and Jews. However, Israeli PM Netanyahu has stated on many occasions that the Israeli government has no intention of ‎changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, which means Jews are allowed to enter the Temple Mount, but cannot pray there or engage in any type of worship.