PA Grand Mufti threatens “consequences” after a Jewish activist light-heartedly posts an advert for an engineer to remove the Dome of the Rock

Headline: “The [PA] grand mufti warns against harming the sites that are holy to Islam”

“[PA] Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and preacher at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Muhammad Hussein warned against harming the sites that are holy to Islam…

In a press release today, Sunday [Nov. 7, 2021], Sheikh Hussein said that the extremist right-wing organizations’ call… to give an estimate for dismantling the Dome of the Rock and transferring it outside of the Al-Aqsa Mosque plazas to build the alleged Temple in its place – which was published by a Jewish rabbi under the auspices of the [Israeli] occupation authorities – exposes the intentions of the occupation and the extremist organizations to destroy the Dome of the Rock (sic., see note below)…

He added that this call expresses the determination of the occupation authorities and the extremists to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and he warned against the consequences of this aggression.”

The mention of an estimate for dismantling the Dome of the Rock refers to Temple Mount Heritage Foundation Chairman Yaacov Hayman’s apparently lighthearted post on Facebook on Nov. 4, 2021, which was not an official call and was not under the auspices of the Israeli government, as claimed in the article. In the post, which included a picture showing Hayman standing in front of the Dome of the Rock, he wrote: “Looking for a demolitions expert engineer/constructor who can give an estimate for planning a controlled dismantling, wrapping, and sending abroad of this structure. Happy new month Israel! May we soon merit the dedication of the altar (i.e., a reference to the approaching Hanukkah holiday)!”

Muhammad Hussein also serves as Deputy Secretary-General and acting Secretary-General of the PLO Popular National Conference of Jerusalem.