Abbas advisor opposes law allowing both Jews and Muslims to pray on Temple Mount
Official PA TV broadcast the Friday sermon from the Al-Tashrifat Mosque in the presidential compound in Ramallah. The sermon was delivered by Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs. He mentions the “physical division and [division] according to time,” referring to a law proposed in May 2013 and currently being reviewed by the Israeli Parliament, that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount. The law seeks to implement separate prayer times for Muslims and Jews at the site.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs: “Our goal is Jerusalem… the occupation perhaps wanted to take advantage of our and the world’s preoccupation with the aggression against Gaza, in order to further the scheme of dividing the Al-Aqsa Mosque according to time, between those who have the right and the foreigners, who have no right to even a single grain of our occupied land or of Jerusalem.
In effect, the battle is here, at the symbol of our existence, the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Gaza is paying the price for Jerusalem… Our goal must remain the expulsion of this occupation and the establishment of a free and independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. Therefore, the Palestinian leadership’s position is that if Israel acts to violate the Palestinian right at the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the so-called physical division and [division] according to time, we will be exempt from everything – negotiations, agreements, everything. Then we will not be bound by anything, and will have a position that might shake the earth beneath their feet.”
Note: The “aggression against Gaza” that Habbash mentions in his statement refers to Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs: “Our goal is Jerusalem… the occupation perhaps wanted to take advantage of our and the world’s preoccupation with the aggression against Gaza, in order to further the scheme of dividing the Al-Aqsa Mosque according to time, between those who have the right and the foreigners, who have no right to even a single grain of our occupied land or of Jerusalem.
In effect, the battle is here, at the symbol of our existence, the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Gaza is paying the price for Jerusalem… Our goal must remain the expulsion of this occupation and the establishment of a free and independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. Therefore, the Palestinian leadership’s position is that if Israel acts to violate the Palestinian right at the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the so-called physical division and [division] according to time, we will be exempt from everything – negotiations, agreements, everything. Then we will not be bound by anything, and will have a position that might shake the earth beneath their feet.”
Note: The “aggression against Gaza” that Habbash mentions in his statement refers to Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.