( AFP Photo)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Kamel Amr strongly condemned on Monday what he called Israeli practices aiming to “change the character of Jerusalem” and burry the Islamic and Arabic identities of the Holy City”.
Settlers accompanied by Israeli security entered Al-Aqsa compound two days in a row last week, Ma’an news agency reported, while last Wednesday, Palestinian women and men under the age of 50 were not allowed inside the mosque.
Also last week Israeli forces raided the home of and arrested Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mohamed Hussein in connection to recent violence in the holy city. He was released within hours. Head of the Egyptian Delegation in Ramallah Yasser Othman had paid Hussein a visit to show solidarity and express Egypt’s position which aims to protect Al-Aqsa.
Amr stressed on the importance of Israel’s “halt of these illegal procedures that violate… international law”.
He warned of the consequences of the continuation of such violations, especially the increasing raids of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Amr added that he told the Egyptian delegation in the United Nations to continue the efforts that were started by the Arab bloc to bring attention to Israeli violations and provocations.
In an extraordinary session of permanent members of the Arab League held at the request of Palestine and Jordan on Sunday, the council said in a statement that Israel’s “continued racist policy to allow extremists to storm Al-Aqsa and commit violations against Palestinians in East Jerusalem will only increase tensions in the Palestinian territories”.
“This will lead to the situation blowing up and becoming out of control,” the League members said, adding that a decisive and effective Arab position must be taken especially amid silence by international players.
“There must be a decision by the council… for serious political and diplomatic movement, not just to renew solidarity with the people of Jerusalem, but also for an effective international movement to force Israel to stop its continued violations against the occupied Palestinian territories,” the statement concluded.
