PA religous official calls on Palestinians to "visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and carry out constant Ribat there and not give the occupation and settlers an opportunity [to harm it]"
Headline: “The Ramallah and El-Bireh Directorate of Religion called to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque”
“Director-General of the Ramallah and El-Bireh Directorate of Religion (i.e., branch of the PA Ministry of Religious Affairs) Sheikh Wafiq Alawi, during the monthly meeting of the imams and employees, called to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and carry out constant Ribat (i.e., religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic) there and not give the occupation and settlers an opportunity [to harm it]. He also explained that the members of our people have recorded and are still recording the most spectacular epics of heroism and belonging to their homeland and their mosque.”
This statement was made during the period immediately following violence and riots in response 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.
“Director-General of the Ramallah and El-Bireh Directorate of Religion (i.e., branch of the PA Ministry of Religious Affairs) Sheikh Wafiq Alawi, during the monthly meeting of the imams and employees, called to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and carry out constant Ribat (i.e., religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic) there and not give the occupation and settlers an opportunity [to harm it]. He also explained that the members of our people have recorded and are still recording the most spectacular epics of heroism and belonging to their homeland and their mosque.”
This statement was made during the period immediately following violence and riots in response 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.