The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Saturday joined in condemning Israel for the previous day’s violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli police in scenes similar to those preceding the Gaza war last May.
“The UAE strongly condemned today the assault on Israeli forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which injured a number of civilians,” the Gulf Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it “emphasizes the need for self-restraint and protection of the worshipers. “
The statement said that it “emphasizes the UAE’s position that the Israeli authorities must respect the right of Palestinians to practice their religious rites and stop all practices that violate the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
“Furthermore, the UAE stressed the need to respect the trusteeship of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in accordance with international law and historical context and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Fund, which manages the affairs of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the statement said. of the Muslim waqf authorities, who administer the religious sites on the Temple Mount.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry issued a similar statement Saturday, saying “the assault by Israeli police on the Al-Aqsa Mosque” and the subsequent injury and arrest of Palestinian rebels were a provocation for Muslims, especially during the holy month of [Ramadan]”
Get the daily edition of The Times of Israel by email and never miss our leading stories
By registering, you agree to the terms
The Gulf condemnations came after the United States expressed its “deep concern” over the violence in Jerusalem and Israel’s neighbors in the Middle East, including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, issued a statement of outrage.
Israeli police officer raises his stick in front of the Dome of the Rock during clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on top of the Temple Mount, April 15, 2022 (Ahmad Gharabli / AFP)
The UN and the EU have been more measured in their responses, instead focusing on calls for calm and calling on the countries to act with restraint.
Masked Palestinians take position during clashes with Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, April 15, 2022 (AP Photo / Mahmoud Illean)
Hundreds of Palestinians barricaded themselves in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, piling up stones and other objects to throw at intruders. Dozens of young people began marching through the complex, some waving Palestinian flags and others carrying green banners linked to the Hamas terrorist group, police said. Protesters threw stones and set off fireworks.
Officials arrested about 400 rebels, and the Palestinian Red Crescent said 158 were injured – most of them probably inhaling tear gas. The footage shows the chaos at the site, with rains of stones and fireworks fired at heavily armed police. Palestinians have distributed videos of officers beating protesters, including fleeing women and journalists.
Merry Christmas to the Jews pic.twitter.com/OTaGuk56fg
– GalGoffe (@GalYoffe) April 15, 2022
Determined to clear the mosque of accumulated stones, police decided to break into the building, leading to dozens of arrests and scenes identical to those that took place nearly a year ago.
After six hours, however, they managed to clear the rebel complex. Calm was restored and the afternoon prayers passed without incident, with about 50,000 Muslim worshipers taking part.
Palestinian protesters throw stones at Israeli security forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on top of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City on April 15, 2022 (Jamal Awad / Flash90)
Ramadan is usually a period of high tension, as tens of thousands of pilgrims, including many Palestinians from the West Bank, attend services at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, located on top of the Temple Mount complex. The place is the holiest place of Judaism, and the mosque is the third holiest place of Islam.
The site is the emotional epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and tensions there could easily lead to wider fires. Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups have repeatedly referred to the holy site of ignition as a red line. The actions of the police for suppressing the riots there last year helped challenge the 11-day War in Gaza in May.
In addition to the holiday frictions, Israeli troops are carrying out large-scale attacks in the West Bank after the deadliest outbreak of terror in Israel in years.
We tell a critical story
Israel is now a much more prominent player on the world stage than its size suggests. As a diplomatic correspondent for The Times of Israel, I am well aware that Israel’s security, strategy and national interests are always carefully considered and have serious consequences.
It takes balance, determination and knowledge to accurately convey the history of Israel and come to work every day in order to do so fully.
Financial support from readers like you allows me to travel to witness both the war (I have just returned from a report in Ukraine) and the signing of historic agreements. And it allows The Times of Israel to remain the place that readers around the world turn to for accurate news about Israel’s relations with the world.
If it is important to you that an independent, fact-based reflection of Israel’s role in the world exists and thrives, I urge you to support our work. Will you join the Times of Israel community today?
Thank you,
Lazar Berman, diplomatic correspondent
Yes, I will give Yes, I will give Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You are a dedicated reader
We are really glad that you read articles from the X Times of Israel last month.
That’s why we launched the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with a must-see coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we have not set a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining the Times of Israel community.
For just $ 6 a month, you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISING, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel community.
Thank you, David Horowitz, founder and editor of The Times of Israel
Join our community Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add Comment