Arab League chief condemns Israeli minister's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit strongly condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's storming of East Jerusalem's

Cairo, Dec 27 (IANS) Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit has strongly condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's storming of East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, accompanied by a group of hardline settlers, as "a blatant provocation".

"The incursion is a blatant provocation aimed at inflaming emotions and escalating the situation," Xinhua news agency quoted Aboul-Gheit as saying in a statement by the pan-Arab, Cairo-based organisation on Tuesday.

Ben-Gvir's entry into the holy site under the protection of the Israeli "occupying police" reveals the nature of the Israeli government's hostility to peaceful coexistence, according to the AL chief.

He said the incident is part of the Israeli government's continued violations of the historical status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, is administered by the Jerusalem Awqaf Department, an Islamic religious trust affiliated with Jordan. Jews revere the site as the Temple Mount. This sacred site has long been a flashpoint for deadly violence between Jews and Muslims.

"Israel, through these rejected and condemned policies, is deliberately destroying all possibilities for peaceful coexistence among religions in the region," Aboul-Gheit added.

Earlier in the day, Ben-Gvir said that he visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and "said a prayer", which breached the long-standing status quo at the site, under which non-Muslims are permitted only to visit the hilltop compound but not allowed to pray there.

The Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem is Islam’s holiest site after the mosques in Makkah and Madinah and is a symbol of Palestinian national identity.

The Saudi ministry on Thursday also condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ advance in southern Syria after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in early December.

“The continuation of (Israeli) military operations in Syria is an attempt to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.

--IANS

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