Director of Cave of the Patriarchs: Israel is “striving to divide the [Al-Aqsa] mosque according to areas and times and to build ‘the alleged Temple’”
Headline: “The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Ibrahimi Mosque, and the unity of fate”
“Director of the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs) Sheikh Hafzi Abu Sneineh emphasized to [the official PA news agency] WAFA that the pressures being exerted on the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the [Israeli] aspirations to take control of them are not something new…
He also said: ‘If the [Arab] residents of Jerusalem will be silent over this policy, the occupation will think that it will be easy for it to completely take control of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.’ He emphasized that prayer at its gates is a legitimate right, and the agreement to enter the mosque through the metal detectors (refers to metal detectors placed at the entrances to the Temple Mount following a terror attack there on July 14, 2017, in which 2 Israelis were murdered; see note below –Ed.) is recognition of the occupation’s control and sovereignty over the site, and [the residents of Jerusalem] know best the fact that the occupation is striving to divide the mosque according to areas and times and to build ‘the alleged Temple.’”
The referance to "metal detectors" refers to Israeli security measures at the Temple Mount, including metal detectors at the entrances, following an attack there on July 14, 2017, in which 2 Israeli border police officers were murdered by 3 Israeli Arab terrorists. On July 24, 2017, Israel decided to remove the metal detectors and security cameras it had placed at the site. The PA continued to demand that all measures including inspections at the entrances be removed, and Palestinians continued to riot. On July 27, 2017, PA religious leaders declared that all Israeli measures had been removed.
Omar Al-Abd – 19-year-old Palestinian terrorist who stabbed and murdered 3 Israelis - Yosef, Haya, and Elad Salomon - and severely injured 1 - Tova Salomon - as they sat at their Sabbath dinner table in Halamish, north of Ramallah, on July 21, 2017. Al-Abd was shot and wounded by a neighbor and taken into Israeli custody, receiving necessary medical treatment in an Israeli hospital.
Before committing the attack, Al-Abd wrote in his "will" on Facebook that he was taking his knife to respond to what was happening at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and did not expect to return. A week earlier, a terror attack was carried out at the Temple Mount in which 2 Israelis were murdered. Following the attack Israel closed the Temple Mount for two days and reopened it with metal detectors at the entrance to the holy site. Palestinians interpreted these measures as an “aggression” and “attack” against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"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.
“Director of the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs) Sheikh Hafzi Abu Sneineh emphasized to [the official PA news agency] WAFA that the pressures being exerted on the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the [Israeli] aspirations to take control of them are not something new…
He also said: ‘If the [Arab] residents of Jerusalem will be silent over this policy, the occupation will think that it will be easy for it to completely take control of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.’ He emphasized that prayer at its gates is a legitimate right, and the agreement to enter the mosque through the metal detectors (refers to metal detectors placed at the entrances to the Temple Mount following a terror attack there on July 14, 2017, in which 2 Israelis were murdered; see note below –Ed.) is recognition of the occupation’s control and sovereignty over the site, and [the residents of Jerusalem] know best the fact that the occupation is striving to divide the mosque according to areas and times and to build ‘the alleged Temple.’”
The referance to "metal detectors" refers to Israeli security measures at the Temple Mount, including metal detectors at the entrances, following an attack there on July 14, 2017, in which 2 Israeli border police officers were murdered by 3 Israeli Arab terrorists. On July 24, 2017, Israel decided to remove the metal detectors and security cameras it had placed at the site. The PA continued to demand that all measures including inspections at the entrances be removed, and Palestinians continued to riot. On July 27, 2017, PA religious leaders declared that all Israeli measures had been removed.
Omar Al-Abd – 19-year-old Palestinian terrorist who stabbed and murdered 3 Israelis - Yosef, Haya, and Elad Salomon - and severely injured 1 - Tova Salomon - as they sat at their Sabbath dinner table in Halamish, north of Ramallah, on July 21, 2017. Al-Abd was shot and wounded by a neighbor and taken into Israeli custody, receiving necessary medical treatment in an Israeli hospital.
Before committing the attack, Al-Abd wrote in his "will" on Facebook that he was taking his knife to respond to what was happening at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and did not expect to return. A week earlier, a terror attack was carried out at the Temple Mount in which 2 Israelis were murdered. Following the attack Israel closed the Temple Mount for two days and reopened it with metal detectors at the entrance to the holy site. Palestinians interpreted these measures as an “aggression” and “attack” against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"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.