A Fatah goon in eastern Jerusalem has accused an Emirate delegation of “desecrating” the sacred Al Aqsa Mosque in the Temple Mount compound.
The recent visit by the visitors from the United Arab Emirates outraged the Arab residents of eastern Jerusalem and the ruling Fatah faction in the Palestinian Authority, according to a report by Arab affairs investigative reporter Khaled Abu Toameh at The Jerusalem Post.
وفد تطبيع خليجي يصلي في وأهل ممنوعين من دخوله منذ قرابة الشهر !
كيف !! pic.twitter.com/BesUdfK9nf
— محمد سعيد نشوان (@MohamdNashwan)
The Fatah faction even went so far as to accuse the Emirati visitors of promoting normalization with Israel and “desecrating” the sacred site, Toameh reports.
This summer, the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab nation in a quarter century, after Egypt and Jordan, to formally recognize and establish a diplomatic relationship with Israel.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the move and made wild accusations that included betrayals of Jerusalem, al Aqsa, and the “Palestinian cause.”
Eyewitnesses said the delegation — nine men and one woman — entered Al Aqsa “under Israeli police protection” and said the Waqf had not been notified in advance of the visit, Toameh reports.
Jerusalem Fatah leader Shadi Mtour said the visitors “stormed Al Aqsa Mosque” — the typical language used to describe the arrival of anyone other than an accepted Muslim Arab on the site, and most often used to describe Jewish visitors.
Mtour added that “Any (Arab) delegation visiting Jerusalem through the gates of the occupation is not welcome.”
As it happens, during the visit Israeli Police also were forced to detain three Muslim “worshipers” who clearly found time to do more than pray; they were arrested for chanting slogans denouncing the Emirati visitors in much the same manner as they often harass Jewish visitors to the compound.
الوفد دخل وخرج من كما يدخله المغتصبون الذين يقتحمون الأقصى يوميًا من ساحة البراق (التي أقيمت على انقاض حارة المغاربة التي هدمها الاحتلال وهجر أهلها)، وتجولوا بحماية شرطة الاحتلال في ساحات الأقصى.
كما اعتقلت المخابرات الصهيونية 3 مقدسيين وقفوا بطريق الوفد !! pic.twitter.com/tYpvWDf70D
— محمد سعيد نشوان (@MohamdNashwan)
Later on social media a number of Jerusalem Arabs and residents of the Palestinian Authority reportedly denounced the Emirati delegation for their visit to Al Aqsa, accusing them of “desecrating” the site, and called for replacing the carpets where they had prayed.
Is it any wonder that Arab nations who spend millions of dollars and lose endless economic and medical opportunities in constantly defending, supporting and diplomatically arguing on their behalf, are finally starting to say, ‘enough is enough’ ?