The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has warned of possible Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem following a provocative visit by a far-right security minister to the sacred site.
In a statement after Tuesday’s extraordinary meeting, the Jeddah-based organization called for sanctions against far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for violating the fire site.
Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa compound last week, drawing condemnation from countries around the world, including Jordan, Turkey, the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan.
The OIC described Ben Gvir’s visit as “a serious provocation that offends the feelings of Muslims around the world and a blatant violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, the current historical and legal situation in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and its shrines, and all relevant international norms.”
The pan-Muslim group strongly condemned the “repeated attacks” by Israeli settlers on Christian shrines and property, “including the recent attack on donations to the Orthodox Church in Bab al-Khalil and Silwan, and the desecration and destruction of Christian graves. on Mount Zion in the eastern part of Al-Quds.
The OIC called on the UN Security Council to “fulfill its responsibilities” and stop the dangerous Israeli escalation in occupied East Jerusalem.
The statement affirmed the sovereignty of Palestine over “Al-Quds al-Sharif (East Jerusalem) and all its holy places, its ancient city and its walls”, and stated that all measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities to change the nature and legal status of the city or its demographic composition are “void and without legal effect”.
The Palestinians accuse Israel of systematically Judaizing East Jerusalem, where al-Aqsa is located, and destroying its Arab and Islamic identity.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa is the third most important place in the world. On the other hand, the Jews call this area the Temple Mount, saying that in ancient times there were two Jewish temples here.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. He annexed the entire city in 1980, which was never recognized by the international community.
