Muslims: Al-Aqsa Mosque Does Not Belong to Palestinians

by Khaled Abu Toameh

• These Gulf Muslims are also demanding an end to the Palestinian "monopoly" over the Islamic holy site in Jerusalem."

• "We will visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque because it does not belong to you, it belongs to all Muslims." — Laila Al-Awadhi, Emirati political activist.

• "How wrong we were when we thought that Israel was preventing Muslims from visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque." — Ali Al-Aslami, Emirati social media user, Twitter, October 19, 2020.

• The furious response of these Muslims to the Palestinian assault on the Emirati delegation is yet another sign of the deepening crisis between the Palestinians and the Arab world, particularly the Gulf states.... Yet, once again, the Palestinians have opted for hating Israel and any Arab who seeks peace with it over improving their basic living conditions.

As far as the Palestinians are concerned, a Muslim who believes in Israel's right to exist is not entitled to enter the Temple Mount or pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction is spearheading a campaign to prevent Muslims from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain from visiting the Temple Mount. Pictured: Palestinians burn a portrait of UAE Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed on August 14, 2020 at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

In the past few years, the Palestinians have regularly condemned Jews for visiting the Temple Mount/Haram Al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) in Jerusalem. The Palestinians depict the visits by Jews as "incursions" and claim that the visitors "defile" the Al-Aqsa Mosque when they enter the compound.

The Jewish visitors, however, do not set foot inside the mosque; they only tour the outdoor compound under the protection of the Israeli police. It is also worth mentioning that Palestinians often hurl insults at the Jewish visitors and try to physically assault them.

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and the place toward which Jews turn during prayer. Among Sunni Muslims, the Temple Mount is considered the third holiest site in Islam.

The Palestinians are now saying that they are opposed not only to Jews visiting the holy site, but also to Muslims who believe in peace with Israel.

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