Several Arab countries, in the strongest terms, condemned Israeli settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday and warned against continuing the serious violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
On Sunday, May 29, thousands of Jewish settlers gathered in the Bab al-Amoud area and in a number of streets in the occupied city of Jerusalem. The protest carried out in conjunction with the Flags March, warned the Palestinian resistance factions of the repercussions of storming into Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The following Arab countries have also strongly condemned the Jewish settlers over the same.
Qatar
Qatar condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by settlers and considered it a flagrant violation of international law.
In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the settlers storming of Al-Aqsa “is an extension of the attempts to change the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque and push for the temporal division of the mosque, and a provocation to the feelings of Muslims in the world.”
It also warned that the continued “serious and provocative violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque clearly reveal the occupation’s desire to direct the conflict into a religious war.”
The ministry stressed “the need for the international community to move urgently to deter the occupation, and assume its moral and legal responsibilities towards Jerusalem and its sanctities.”
Qatar reiterated “the justice of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
Kuwait
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement strongly condemning the settlers storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and called on the international community, especially the Security Council, “to assume its responsibilities to curb these violations and provide the necessary protection for the brotherly Palestinian people and their rights.”
GCC
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef Al-Hajraf, condemned the Israeli Knesset’s storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police.
Nayef warned of the deterioration of the situation in light of allowing the provocative and escalating march in occupied Jerusalem, “which constitutes a flagrant violation and a condemnable and unacceptable behaviour and escalation.”
He stressed the need for Israel to respect the historical, legal and religious situation in occupied Jerusalem and its sanctities, and to stop all illegal measures.
Nayef Al-Hajraf called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to preserve the safety of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the need for Israel to abide by its obligations as an occupying power in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Jordan
Jordan also condemned allowing extremists and a member of the Israeli Knesset to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the protection of the Israeli police.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of a worsening of the situation in light of allowing the provocative and escalating process in occupied Jerusalem.
The ministry stressed that the extremists’ incursions and provocative behaviour constitute a violation of the existing historical and legal situation, and of international law.
Egypt
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed the need to stop any measures or practices targeting the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of the city of Jerusalem and its sanctities, as well as to change the existing historical and legal situation.
He considered the continued expansion of settlement activity, land confiscation and displacement of Palestinians as undermining the chances of reaching a two-state solution and the prospect of establishing peace in the region.
The Egyptian minister also stressed his country’s firm position on supporting the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and the importance of reviving the path of negotiations leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Turkey
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also renewed its call on Israel to take measures to preserve the status quo of the holy sites in the city of Jerusalem, and not to allow any provocative actions.
A statement from the ministry on Sunday considered the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the extremist Knesset (parliament) Itamar Ben Gvir and a group of extremists under the protection of the Israeli police, a flagrant violation of the status quo of the mosque.
Iran
The Iranian Foreign Ministry warned of what it described as “the new adventures of the Zionist entity and its provocative actions,” and said that “the Zionist entity’s violation of the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is a dangerous, condemnable and reprehensible act.”
UN calls for violence to be avoided
The United Nations on, Sunday, called on the Palestinians and Israelis to exercise restraint and take wise decisions to avoid violence.
The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wencesland, expressed his deep concern about what he described as the “escalating spiral of violence that has claimed the lives of many Palestinians and Israelis in recent weeks.”
Wencesland called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and make wise decisions to avoid another violent conflict that will only cost more lives.
The international call came, coinciding with the launch of thousands of Israelis, in a march of flags, from the Bab al-Amoud area, to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem.
In turn, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said that it strongly condemns the so-called march of racist and provocative flags in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
For its part, the European Union Mission in Jerusalem considered the racist chants and physical violations against the Palestinians during the flag march frightening.
Angry reactions
The storming sparked outrage on social media by Gulf Arabs.
On Sunday, the Israeli police assaulted a parade of Palestinian flags organized by a number of occupied Jerusalem residents on Salah al-Din Street, shot them with rubber-coated bullets, and arrested a number of them.
The Israeli forces also attacked a similar Palestinian march organized by residents in the city of Nablus. The Palestinians responded by burning tires in the streets and throwing stones at the soldiers.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that more than 50 young men were injured during the confrontations that took place in Nablus.
Settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the side of the Mughrabi Gate, under heavy security provided by the occupation police, who closed the Al-Qibli prayer hall, surrounded the worshipers and those who were in retreat inside it, and arrested about 20 young men.
The Israeli police deployed in Al-Aqsa courtyards prior to the incursions closed the Al-Qibli prayer hall with iron chains and surrounded the worshipers inside it.
The settlers stormed the courtyards of the Haram in groups, each group included 40 settlers, carried out provocative tours in its courtyards, and received explanations about the alleged “temple”.
The stops of the intruders were concentrated in the eastern region, in front of the Bab al-Rahma chapel, the Dome of the Rock, and in front of the Qattanin Gate, one of the gates of Al-Aqsa.
The occupation forces assaulted an elderly man and took him out of Al-Aqsa Mosque, arrested 4 young men from the Bab Al-Silsila area, prevented Al-Aqsa school students from reaching their schools, and topped the rooftops of the prayer halls.
The occupation forces deployed at Bab al-Amud and tightened their procedures, setting up military barriers inside the old city markets and on the roads leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The occupation forces also assaulted young men in front of Bab al-Qattanin in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and imposed strict measures on the entry of worshipers to Al-Aqsa.
Young men and boys were prevented from entering its courtyards to perform the dawn prayer, as only the elderly and those over the age of 40 were allowed to enter and pray on its premises.
Sunday’s incursions witnessed a dangerous development, as dozens of settlers performed Talmudic prayers, during which they lay on the ground in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, in what is known as epic prostration among Jews, and others raised Israeli flags under the protection of the police, in clear violation of the status quo.
The status quo is the situation that prevailed in the Islamic and Christian holy places during the Ottoman period, continued during the British Mandate of Palestine and Jordanian rule, and even after the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem in 1967. Nevertheless, Israel claims, constantly, that it is committed not to prejudicing the status quo.
