PA officials on Temple Mount riots: Jews attempting to enter the Mount "on the pretext that they are connected to it"; call "to stop this dangerous attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque"

Headline: "Condemnations of the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s sanctity and the attacks against worshippers, calls to come [to the Al-Aqsa Mosque]"

"District Governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith warned against the consequences of the settlers' riots at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque’s plazas with the support of the occupation government, and against the invasion of special reinforced forces of the occupation police into the Southern Mosque (i.e., the Al-Aqsa Mosque itself), in a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the blessed month of Ramadan and attacking the worshippers (Israeli police responded to Muslim riots at the Temple Mount; see note below –Ed.)…
He noted the danger in using religion in the framework of political conflicts, and warned that the settlers are attempting to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque by any means, by creating facts on the ground – ‘dividing it [between Jews and Muslims] according to times and areas’ (see note below –Ed.) on the pretext that they are connected to it. He emphasized that these are ‘unfounded and false claims and a distortion of history.’
Ghaith held Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for ‘the explosion of the situation in Jerusalem,’ and noted that he is attempting to hide his financial corruption by means of the escalation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and in Jerusalem…
The [PA] Ministry of Religious Affairs condemned the dangerous violation by the Israeli occupation forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday morning [June 2, 2019]…
In a statement, the Ministry of Religious Affairs demanded the international community, which is interested in protecting human rights, act to stop this dangerous attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and allow only Muslims to worship there, due to its being a site that belongs only to them and to no one but them…
Supreme Shari’ah Judge and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas’] advisor on Religious [and Islamic] Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that what is occurring at the Al-Aqsa Mosque constitutes a grave development and indicates a most dangerous stage…
Al-Habbash added that the occupation has refrained from invading the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the blessed month of Ramadan in the past, but this taboo no longer exists…
He noted that the occupation authorities are planning additional bloodshed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as happened at the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs), and are pushing for this in order to create facts on the ground. He held the Israeli government led by Netanyahu responsible for what will happen, and explained that he is the one planning this for his personal purposes."

Temple Mount riots on Jerusalem Day 2019 – Jews who entered the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day were met with riots and objects such as chairs and rocks were thrown at them. Israeli police quelled the riots and arrested suspects. In 2019 Jerusalem Day coincided with the last days of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Jews are usually banned by Israeli police from entering the Temple Mount during the last 10 days of Ramadan due to security concerns, but they were given special permission to enter it on June 2, 2019, in honor of Jerusalem Day.

“Division according to areas and times” refers to a submission of a “private bill” by Israeli MP Uri Ariel in March 2003. The bill suggested ensuring freedom of religious worship by allowing both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount - what the Palestinians call the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza. The bill sought to designate separate prayer times and areas of the site for Muslims and Jews. The bill never progressed past the initial legislatory stage. While there was additional discussion on the subject in 2012, no legislation was ever passed. In response to the incessant PA claims that the “division according to areas and times” of the Temple Mount is an operative Israeli plan, former Israeli PM Netanyahu stated on many occasions that the Israeli government has no intention of ‎changing the so-called status quo on the Temple Mount, which de facto is interpreted to mean Jews are only allowed to enter the Temple Mount, but not to conduct individual or communal prayers there. In July 2021, Israeli PM Naftali Bennett said Muslims and Jews have freedom of worship at the Temple Mount, which was understood by many as a hint to changing the status quo at the site, but the following day his office backtracked and said he misspoke and did not mean Jews would have freedom of worship, but rather would have freedom to visit. “There is no change in the status quo,” a statement from PM Bennett’s office confirmed.y type of worship.

Mahmoud Al-Habbash also holds the position of Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice.