Abbas' office: "The blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line and harming it is completely unacceptable"

Headline: "The [PA] Presidential Office warns against the consequences of harming the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque"

"The [PA] Presidential Office warned against the consequences of harming the status quo at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and condemned the statements of so-called Israeli government Minister of Public Security [Gilad Erdan] who has called to change the historical status quo at the Jerusalem Noble Sanctuary (Erdan called to allow Jews to pray at the Temple Mount; see note below –Ed.).

The Presidential Office said in a press release today (Wednesday) [Aug. 14, 2019]: 'We condemn these statements that strive to increase the tensions and inflame the emotions of the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations.' It emphasized that the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line and harming it is completely unacceptable.

It added that the Israeli government is responsible for the ongoing provocations and attacks against the religious sites in occupied Jerusalem, especially against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and demanded that the international community intervene and pressure Israel to stop these attempts, which will lead to an uncontrollable situation or dangerous consequences if they continue."

The mention of Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan’s statements refer to comments he made in an interview with Radio 90FM on Aug. 13, 2019, in which he said: “I think that there is an injustice in the status quo that has existed [on the Temple Mount] since 1967, and that it is necessary to work to change it so that Jews in the future will be able God willing to also pray on the Temple Mount, which is the holiest site for the Jewish people and the third most significant site in Islam.”