Al-Aqsa director: The site will remain Islamic

July 23, 2020 — Israel National News reports: “Omar al-Kiswani, director of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, said on Wednesday that ‘the Israeli occupation will fail in its efforts to bring the Arab residents of Jerusalem to despair.’

Israel, he claimed, is trying to do this through ‘provocative actions, daily break ins to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing the renovation and removal of security guards, officials of the endowment department (Waqf) and other activists.’

Kiswani said in an interview that the Palestinians would continue to fulfill their duty and are ‘willing to pay the price for holding onto the Al-Aqsa Mosque and preserving the Islamic and Arab character of the site.’

According to Kiswani, ‘The Golden Gate is an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the mosque management does not recognize the decisions of the Israeli court that ordered the closure of the Islamic prayer house that operated there.’…”  (In Genesis 22:1-14 God commanded Abraham to bring his son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice there.  As he was about to complete the sacrifice, God stopped him and provided a ram as a substitutionary sacrifice.  In I Chronicles 21:18 – 26, King David purchased this mount so he could build an altar to offer a sacrifice when he confessed his sin.  This was the location where the angel of the Lord was commanded to stop the destruction of Jerusalem [I Chronicles 21:15].  In II Chronicles 3:1, King Solomon built the First Temple on Mount Moriah, this was started in 966 BC.  This Temple stood until 586 BC when it was destroyed by the Babylonians.  The Second Temple was built in 516 BC and enlarged by Herod the Great in 12 BC.  It stood until it was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.  The Dome of the Rock was built in AD 692, and the Al Aqsa Mosque was not built until AD 705.  It is obvious who has the rightful claim to the Temple Mount.  See the next two reports.) 

‘Al-Aqsa is not subject to Israeli law’

July 20, 2020 — Israel National News reports: “Azzam Al-Khatib, Director of the Jerusalem Waqf Department, said on Sunday that his department is responsible for the Al-Aqsa Mosque and does not consider itself subordinate to the Israeli authorities or its courts, but rather to the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments.

In an interview with Hamas’ Felesteen newspaper, Khatib said that the entire area of ​​the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which covers 144 dunams, is not subject to Israeli laws, including the house of prayer at the Golden Gate.

That house of prayer, he added, remains open and the very presence of the ‘occupation’ there is the real threat…”

Hamas: ‘Attacking al-Aqsa will ignite war’

July 15, 2020 — Israel National News reports: “The Hamas Islamic organization warned that any attack on the al-Aqsa Mosque would ignite a war, emphasizing that the current situation will not last forever, as ‘the enemy will pay for the attack on al-Aqsa.’

In a statement Hamas said that the ‘Zionist repression juggernaut’ would not be able to withstand the popular protest in Jerusalem, which could block the plans of the ‘occupation.’

In this regard, the Hamas movement called the decision of the Israeli court approving the closure of the Muslim prayer house at the Old City wall’s Gate of Mercy ‘preparation for constructing a synagogue on the site,’ and a ‘dangerous scheme’ whose implementation Jerusalem [Arab] residents will not allow.

The Hamas organization called on their public in Jerusalem and ‘the Palestinians and those in the occupied territories of 1948’ to demonstrate a firm stand and hold on to the al-Aqsa Mosque so as prevent the ‘occupation’ from implementing its plans…”