Saudi Arabia Reiterates Categorical Rejection of Extremist Israeli Statements

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reiterates Categorical Rejection of Extremist Israeli Statements

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday its categorical rejection of extremist and inflammatory Israeli statements and ongoing provocations of the sentiments of Muslims around the world.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The government called on the international community to put a stop to the catastrophic humanitarian crisis endured by the brotherly Palestinian people and to activate serious mechanisms to hold Israeli officials accountable for their continuous violations of international laws, norms and resolutions.

The ministers were briefed on the message received by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz from Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and the talks held between Crown Prince Mohammed and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

During the talks, Saudi Arabia stressed that it will maintain its efforts with international and regional parties to end the escalation in Gaza.

The cabinet reviewed the outcome of the Geneva meetings aimed at reaching tangible and immediate steps to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities, stressing that the Kingdom will continue to work with international partners until security and stability are restored in Sudan.

The cabinet highlighted the latest major local economic developments and relevant statistics and indicators, noting the 10.5% increase in non-oil exports in the second quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2023.

It congratulated the winners of the 44th edition of the King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Holy Quran, underlining the Kingdom’s keenness, since its establishment, to serve the Quran, viewing this as the noblest of goals.

The cabinet also praised the success of the first edition of the Esports World Cup, which embodies efforts to boost the Kingdom’s position as a global destination for major sporting events and activities.



Arab, Islamic Condemnation of Israeli Minister's Call to Build Synagogue at Al-Aqsa Mosque 

A super blue moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock mosque in Old Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on August 19, 2024. (AFP)
A super blue moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock mosque in Old Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on August 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Arab, Islamic Condemnation of Israeli Minister's Call to Build Synagogue at Al-Aqsa Mosque 

A super blue moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock mosque in Old Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on August 19, 2024. (AFP)
A super blue moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock mosque in Old Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on August 19, 2024. (AFP)

The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned on Tuesday statements by an Israeli minister advocating for the construction of a synagogue within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.  

MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa denounced his remarks, which he said are part of Israel's continuous violations of Muslim sacred sites.  

He cautioned about the perilous outcomes of Israel's persistent disregard for international law and human rights, warning that any encroachment on the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a provocation to the sentiments of Muslims around the world.  

He underlined the pressing need for the international community to take firm action against these violations and put an end to the systematic crimes perpetrated by the Israeli government against innocent civilians.  

Israel's hardline Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir repeated on Monday a call for Jews to be allowed to pray at the Al-Aqsa compound, drawing sharp criticism for inflaming tensions as ceasefire negotiators seek a deal to halt fighting in Gaza.  

"The policy at the Temple Mount allows praying there. Period," Ben-Gvir told an Army Radio interviewer. "The prime minister knew when I joined the government there would not be any discrimination. Muslims are allowed to pray and a Jew is not allowed to pray?"  

Asked if he would build a synagogue on the site if he could, Ben-Gvir replied: "Yes, Yes."  

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office immediately put out a statement restating the official Israeli position, which accepts decades-old rules restricting non-Muslim prayer at the mosque compound.  

The hillside compound, in Jerusalem's Old City, is one of the most sensitive locations in the Middle East, holy for both Muslims and Jews, and the trigger for repeated conflict.  

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said calls to tamper with the status of Al-Aqsa appeared intended "to drag the region into a religious war that will burn everyone".  

The Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned Ben-Gvir's remarks on Tuesday, saying it was an "extension of Israeli violations against holy sites and freedom of worship."   

"Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories that have been occupied since 1967," it added, saying the city was also the capital of a Palestinian state.   

All measures taken by Israel to Judaize occupied Jerusalem have no legal basis and are considered null and void according to international law and resolutions, it went on to say.   

The OIC held "the Israel government fully responsible for the consequences of the ongoing systematic violations that are provocation of Muslim sentiments around the world and that will fuel the religious conflict, extremism and instability in the region."   

It called on "the influential parties in the international community to assume their responsibilities and intervene to put a stop to these dangerous Israeli violations and preserve the historical and legal standing of Islamic and Muslim sanctities in Jerusalem."

The United Arab Emirates condemned the Israeli minister’s statements, stressing the need for Israel to respect the historical and legal status in Jerusalem. 

Qatar echoed the call, warning that Ben-Gvir's "provocative statements may affect ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza."