Abbas Warns Against Israeli Measures in Al-Aqsa
Abbas said Israel's continued measures would lead to a "wide-reaching explosion" that could not be controlled.
Abbas held Israel responsible for this dangerous escalation.
Israel's Knesset (parliament) plans to vote next month on a bill that will open the door for the division of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The bill will also open the door for Jewish prayers inside the Islamic house of worship.
In recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers – often accompanied by Israeli security forces – have repeatedly forced their way into East Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.
The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.
The Zionist regime occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state – a move never recognized by the international community.
In September 2000, a visit to the site by controversial Israeli leader Ariel Sharon sparked what later became known as the "Second Intifada" – a popular uprising against the Israeli occupation in which thousands of Palestinians were killed.
Source: Turkish Weekly
