Al-Azhar Imam condemns 'disgraceful silence' over Israeli assault against Palestinians

Grand Imam of Egypt’s top religious authority Al-Azhar said word remains “disgracefully silent” towards the violations and “terrorism” committed by Zionists against Palestinians and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Tue, May. 11, 2021
CAIRO – 10 May 2021: Grand Imam of Egypt’s top religious authority Al-Azhar said word remains “disgracefully silent” towards the violations and “terrorism” committed by Zionists against Palestinians and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli police have clashed with Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque as well as Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah district in Jerusalem, causing over 300 injuries among Palestinian people so far.

Despite international condemnations and calls for restraint, the Israeli police condemned its crackdown on Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a Facebook post, Ahmed El-Tayyeb said Palestine “will forever remain steadfast and its people will continue their struggle to defend their land, honour and the Al Aqsa Mosque, the first Qibla and third holiest site in Islam.”

“I humbly salute these oppressed people. O Allah the Most Merciful, grant the oppressed people of Palestine victory and envelop them with your protection and care,” Tayyeb said.

On Friday, Egypt condemned the attack on Palestinian worshippers by Israeli police, according to the statement released by the Foreign Ministry.

The statement urged the Israeli authorities to honor their responsibilities under international law by providing the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians and respecting their right to perform their religious rituals.

The ministry also urged Israel to stop practice any actions that violate the sanctity of Al Aqsa, expressing its rejection of all Israeli attempts to alter the Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity of Al Quds and obliterate its historical and legal status.

“Egypt vehemently refuses any illegal practices and acts that target the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinians,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.

Condemning the Israeli settlement policy, he said the building of new Israeli settlements and the expansion of existing ones and the confiscation of Palestinian lands and eviction of Palestinians from lands that are rightfully theirs breach international law, undermine all chances of realizing the two-state solution and threaten regional security and stability.

Hafez strongly denounced Israel’s planned eviction of dozens of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Eastern Jerusalem, branding this a violation of international legitimacy and the international humanitarian law and a continuation of the forcible eviction of Palestinians from their homes.