Abu Dhabi hosts Al Aqsa Mosque crisis meeting
Restricted access to Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem will be the subject of an urgent meeting of the Muslim Council of Elders in Abu Dhabi tomorrow.
Dr Ahmed Al Tayyib, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, will lead a meeting to discuss “possible courses of action to stop the Israeli escalations and aggressions against the holy mosque”.
The council said it considers “these aggressions as part of a bigger plan for the Judaisation of Jerusalem and eradication of the Arab Islamic identity of the holy city”.
Israeli authorities introduced metal detectors and CCTV at the entrance after the two Israeli police officers were killed two weeks ago during a shootout with three Israeli-Palestinians near the site.
Worshippers refused to pass through the devices, which were removed on Thursday, but clashes between Palestinians and Israeli authorities continued over the weekend.
On Friday, violence also broke out in the West Bank cities of Qalqilya, Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, Ramallah and the outskirts of Bethlehem.
Israeli troops fired tear gas and rubber bullets, and protesters threw rocks. Dozens of Palestinians were injured, Palestinian medical groups said.
Dr Ali Al Nuaimi, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Elders, said the Abu Dhabi meeting comes within the council’s “awareness of its important roles in defending the cases of Arab and Muslim nations, and highlighting the great religious and spiritual status of Al Aqsa holy mosque”.
Dr Al Nuaimi praised the “peaceful and rational approach that was adopted by the religious leadership of Al Aqsa, which supported the union among Palestinian people”.
He said “this wise and balanced approach put the Israeli occupation to shame and enabled the Arab leaders to speak from a powerful position”.