Abbas, King Abdullah and El-Sisi agrees: All of Al-Aqsa Mosque is Islamic

“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and King of Jordan Abdullah II held a tripartite summit conference yesterday [Aug. 14, 2023] in New Alamein in Egypt…

The leaders emphasized that the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque / Jerusalem Noble Sanctuary (i.e., the Temple Mount), with all of its 144 dunams (144,000 sq. meters -Ed.), is a place of worship of Muslims only. [They noted] that the Jerusalem Waqf and Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Directorate, which is subordinate to the Jordanian Ministry of Waqf [Islamic Affairs], is the sole authority for managing all affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque / Jerusalem Noble Sanctuary and for organizing entry to it. The leaders also expressed their absolute opposition to any attempt to divide the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque according to times or areas (see note below -Ed.)…

The leaders emphasized their adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative with all its elements…

The leaders emphasized that it is important that the international community continue to aid UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), stand alongside it, and support it in its current financial crisis, in order to provide the financial aid that it needs to continue providing essential services to the Palestinian refugees according to its mandate from the UN, until it will be possible for the refugees to realize their right of return according to [UN] Resolution 194 (see note below -Ed.).”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 15, 2023]

“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.

UN Resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."