Abbas advisor: Israel`s goal is the destruction of Al-Aqsa "and the establishment of the alleged Temple"
Official PA TV program Today’s Topic, on the clashes on the Temple Mount
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Jerusalem Affairs Ahmed Al-Ruweidi: “The headline of our operations needs to be: Jerusalem first. The Al-Aqsa Mosque and the crimes committed against it, whose goal is its destruction and the establishment of the alleged Temple, [need to be our priority]. The problem is not a division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque according to time and space. The problem is that they want to control the site in order to be able to establish the alleged Temple in the future. The Israelis are currently speaking about this wholeheartedly.”
"Division according to areas and times" refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount, what the Palestinians call the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza. The law seeks to designate separate prayer times and areas of the site for Muslims and Jews. However, Israeli PM Netanyahu has stated on many occasions that the Israeli government has no intention of changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, which means Jews are allowed to enter the Temple Mount, but cannot pray there or engage in any type of worship.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Advisor on Jerusalem Affairs Ahmed Al-Ruweidi: “The headline of our operations needs to be: Jerusalem first. The Al-Aqsa Mosque and the crimes committed against it, whose goal is its destruction and the establishment of the alleged Temple, [need to be our priority]. The problem is not a division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque according to time and space. The problem is that they want to control the site in order to be able to establish the alleged Temple in the future. The Israelis are currently speaking about this wholeheartedly.”
"Division according to areas and times" refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount, what the Palestinians call the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza. The law seeks to designate separate prayer times and areas of the site for Muslims and Jews. However, Israeli PM Netanyahu has stated on many occasions that the Israeli government has no intention of changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, which means Jews are allowed to enter the Temple Mount, but cannot pray there or engage in any type of worship.