Jews visiting the Temple Mount is a "violation which heralds a great danger that is liable to darken the entire region" warns PA Minister
Headline: “Al-Bakri warns against extremist calls to invade the Al-Aqsa Mosque this Thursday”
“[PA] Minister of Religious Affairs Hatem Al-Bakri warned against the calls of the [Jewish] ‘Temple’ groups to the settlers to participate in invading the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque this Thursday [March 17, 2022], on the pretext of marking the first Jewish holiday of 2022 [Purim].
Al-Bakri emphasized in a statement yesterday that the dangerous and escalating Israeli plans against the holy city [of Jerusalem] – which are being expressed by their ongoing attempts to interfere in the affairs of the Jerusalem Noble Sanctuary (i.e., the Temple Mount), the intensive excavations under the Al-Aqsa Mosque (sic., Israel does not excavate under the Temple Mount), the settlement plans, and the daily invasions [of the Al-Aqsa Mosque] – are nothing but an attempt to change the status quo at the Jerusalem Noble Sanctuary…
He called on the international community and the Arab and Islamic nations to act to reduce these violations, which herald a great danger that is liable to darken the entire region…
On the same matter, [PA] Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and preacher at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque Muhammad Hussein called on the civilians for whom it is possible to come to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and stay inside it. This is in order to fight the calls to invade it during ‘the Purim holiday,’ which have been made by extremist settler groups…
The grand mufti called on the relevant institutions and organizations in the region and the world to intervene to put an end to these violations against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.He also warned that through this aggression the occupation authorities are pushing the region towards religious war, from which no one will be spared.”
Muhammad Hussein also serves as Deputy Secretary-General and acting Secretary-General of the PLO Popular National Conference of Jerusalem.
The PA and its leaders misrepresent all of the Temple Mount as an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore, they vilify any presence of Jews on the mount as an "invasion." It should be noted that Jews who visit the Temple Mount only enter some sections of the open areas, and do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock. Israeli police ban Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount because of threats of violence by Palestinians.
Excavations under the Temple Mount - The Israeli daily Haaretz has stated that the excavations do not reach beneath the mosque: "Despite complaints from the Islamic Movement and Palestinian groups, not a single dig penetrates beneath the [Temple] Mount." [Haaretz, May 24, 2016]