Imam Al-Aqsa Sindir Arab State Attitude

JERUSALEM - The veteran Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque and former Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, said Arab countries are too busy fighting each other rather than worrying about Al-Aqsa Mosque. Speaking at a Friday sermon, Sheikh Sabri said that the Israeli occupation authority had placed an electronic metal detector at the gate of Al-Aqsa Mosque to test the will of the Arab world.

"This is not a test for us because our stance, like the people of Jerusalem, is very clear but this is a test of the will of Arab countries which is diplomatically weak because of their quarrel with each other," Sabri said as quoted from Middle East Monitor, Sunday (23 / 7/2017).

Sabri was shot by two rubber bullets from Israeli security forces earlier this week as he protested actions imposed on the mosque by the Zionist government. The 78-year-old priest noted that the Arabs were busy buying weapons to kill each other.

The Islamic authorities in Jerusalem called on all mosques in the city to remain closed and order Friday prayers conducted only in Al-Aqsa. However, Israeli police, backed by five additional battalions, prevented the crowd from entering the shrine.

Under the "Day of Rage" slogan, many Palestinian leaders are asking pilgrims to pray Friday near the Al-Aqsa Mosque or at least at Israeli checkpoints if they can not get past it.