Palestinian officials called for a mobilization towards Al-Aqsa Mosque, on Wednesday and Thursday, to face calls by extremist Jewish groups to storm the mosque on the Jewish holiday of Purim.
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Hussein called on the Palestinians to flock to Al-Aqsa in order to counter calls launched by extremist settler groups to break into the mosque on Purim, which falls on March 16-17.
He warned that Jewish settlers would try to bring whistles and costumes and they might dance and sing at the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the security of the Israel Police.
Hussein added that the violation of the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque was “a heinous crime committed as part of the efforts to establish a reality on the ground in violation of international law and in a manner that threatens the Arab and Islamic presence.”
Palestinian Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, Hatem al-Bakri said calls launched by the “temple” groups, calling on settlers to storm into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the pretext of reviving the first Jewish holiday of 2022, were part of an “escalating and dangerous plot.”
“The world must assume its responsibilities and seriously intervene to put an end to these violations,” he urged.
Following a meeting over the weekend, senior security officials decided to strengthen the deployment of police and security forces in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet security service, returned on Sunday morning from an unannounced visit to Washington, Ynet news site reported.
According to the website, Bar met with his US counterpart, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray, and senior officials in the Department of Defense, to discuss the Russian war on Ukraine and the Palestinian issue.
The trip was Bar’s first known visit to the US since coming to office five months ago. Bar warned of the possibility of a flare-up with the Palestinians during Ramadan in April, Ynet added.
