J’lem religious body slams Israeli violence at Al-Aqsa

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout</p> <p><br></p> <p>JERUSALEM (AA) – Jerusalem’s Religious Endowments Authority on Wednesday condemned recent Israeli police violence against Palestinian worshippers inside Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.</p> <p><br></p> <p>“Large numbers of [Israeli] police and special forces stormed the holy Dome of the Rock Mosque wearing their shoes,” the Jordan-run endowments authority, which is tasked with overseeing Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian religious sites, said in a statement.</p> <p><br></p> <p>“Muslims consider the entering of mosques with shoes as a violation of the site’s sanctity,” it added.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The authority went on to accuse Israeli security forces of “brutally attacking Muslim worshippers, including men, women, the elderly and the disabled”.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The authority further accused Israeli security forces of “assaulting Muslim clerics and raiding their offices, and expelling Palestinian Muslims — including workers, employees and guards — from the mosque complex”.</p> <p><br></p> <p>“Such orchestrated aggression,” it added, “represents a clear violation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s sanctity, a provocation to the sentiments of Muslims worldwide and a blatant attack on the freedom of worship.”</p> <p><br></p> <p>The authority went on to hail Jordan and Jordanian King Abdullah II for their longstanding defense of the iconic Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Tension has mounted in Jerusalem since last month, when Israeli police briefly sealed the Al-Rahma Gate, located inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, triggering angry demonstrations by Palestinian Muslims. </p> <p><br></p> <p>In the weeks since, the Israeli authorities have banned scores of Palestinians — including religious officials — from entering the Al-Aqsa, which for Muslims represents the world’s third holiest site. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Israel occupied East Jerusalem, in which the Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.