Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 15-07-2017
For the first time since 1969, Israeli police closed and cancelled Friday Jumuah in Al Aqsa masjid after three Palestinians and two Israeli police officers were killed in a shootout in Al Aqsa compound.
The Israeli police also briefly detained Jerusalem’s top Muslim Sheikh Mohammad Ahmed Hussein, who decried the masjid closure.
Hussein was taken into custody from the Bab Al-Asbat area (Lion’s Gate) after leading an open-air prayer nearby.
He was later released on $2,800 bail.
Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab told Radio Islam the closure of the Al Aqsa masjid until Sunday is terrible saying it’s a “very extreme” reaction by the Israeli government to the situation which they only have themselves to blame.
“The Israeli’s have done little about the complaints by the Palestinians and the Jordanian who are custodians of the holy areas about this escalation by the Israeli’s and the Jewish settlers in which the Israeli Jerusalem police who are actually complicit and taking part in some of these escalations.”
Kuttab says the detention of Hussein and the closure of the Al Aqsa masjid will cause outrage.
He says Jordanian authorities who are also the caretakers of Al Aqsa have issued a statement condemning the closure.
“There will be continued Jordanian effort in trying to pressure the Israeli’s to reopen the mosque area and not allow the Muslim worshipers to be punished for an action that’s done by actually three Israeli citizens and its something that Israeli’s cannot collectively punish and entire population or entire faith.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly tried to allay Muslim fears, saying that the status quo at the Muslim-administered site “will be preserved”.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reached out to Netanyahu in a rare phone call to discuss the situation in Jerusalem, highlighting the concern about a possible escalation.
Abbas condemned the attack and said he rejects “any violence from any party, particularly at holy sites”.
Listen to the interview with Daoud Kattab here:
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