By Esra Tekin
ISTANBUL (AA) – Malaysia on Friday condemned “in the strongest terms” the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel’s security minister and far-right settlers.
“The incursion was a clear provocation and desecration of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
On Thursday, a group of far-right Jewish settlers, led by Israel’s Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem as Jews observed Tisha B’Av, a fast day mourning the destruction of two ancient Jewish temples.
“This place is important to us and we have to return to it and prove our sovereignty,” Ben-Gvir said.
“Malaysia will never condone any attempt by the occupying forces which are aimed at changing the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and Al-Haram Al-Sharif nor we will recognize any outcome of such illegal acts,” it added.
The statement urged the international community to hold the Israeli “regime responsible for their aggressive actions in order to promote peace and stability.”
It said that the Palestinians deserve their right to an independent and sovereign state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israeli forces and Israeli Jewish settlers frequently carry out raids into Al-Aqsa Mosque comound to provoke Palestinians, and in recent years, the site has seen the incursions grow larger and more brazen.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where 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.
[Photo: Israeli settlers march from Damascus Gate to the Western Wall, which is the southwest wall of Masjid al-Aqsa, on the day of mourning, which they called ‘Tisha BeAv’, in Jerusalem on July 26, 2023. Photographer: Mustafa Akharouf/AA]
