The Saudi Foreign Ministry today condemned and denounced the storming of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque by a group of Jewish extremists under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.’The Ministry affirms that these practices are considered a blatant violation of all international norms and conventions, and a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world,’ the ministry said in a statement.’The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds the Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for the repercussions of these continued violations and stresses its call on the international community to assume its responsibilities to end the escalation of the Israeli occupation, provide the necessary protection for civilians, and exert all efforts to end this conflict,’ it said.Hundreds of Jewish extremists yesterday stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam located in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem, as they marked the Jewish New Year, holding religious rituals and one of them blowing the shofar in clear
violation of the decades-long status quo that says the entire 144-dunum Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, also known as Al Haram Al Sharif or noble sanctuary, is a purely Muslim holy place where only Muslims can hold prayers and religious rituals.At the same time, Muslim worshippers were kept out of the Mosque while several people, mainly older men and women, were violently attacked by Israeli police to remove them from the holy place in order to secure its storming by the Jewish fanatics.Violation of the sanctity of the Muslim holy site increases during Jewish holidays as fanatic Jewish organizations call on their followers to intensify their storming of the Mosque during the morning visit hours in order to create a regular presence in the compound to eventually be able to divide it and turn parts or all of it into a Jewish temple.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA