SITUATION IN AL QUDS VERY CRITICAL
Gaza, 10 Jumadal Akhir 1436/30 March 2015 (MINA) – Rapporteur of Jerusalem Committee at the Palestinian Legislative Council Dr. Ahmed Abu Halabiya said: “The situation is Occupied Jerusalem is very serious and quite difficult.” He pointed, in this respect, to the Israeli attempts to complete the so-called Greater Jerusalem project which is aimed at Judaizing the whole city by 2020.
MP Abu Halabiya clarified in an exclusive interview with the PIC that this puts the Jerusalemites at the first line of defense against the Israeli schemes to obliterate the Islamic and Christian character and landmarks, judaize Jerusalem demographically and geographically, and fabricate a story of the Jews’ historical right to the land of Palestine. He also hailed the Jerusalemites’ legendary resilience and steadfastness against Israel and the individual operations like hurling stones and attacking the illegal settlers, Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
“We hoped that the unity government would put an end to the internal division, unify the efforts exerted to defend Jerusalem, achieve the reconciliation between the Palestinian factions especially Hamas and Fatah and act as a government for all Palestinians without any discrimination,” Abu Halabya said, adding: “but it seems that the government is pursuing (PA chairman) Mahmoud Abbas’s policy as he said “this is my government and it is implementing my policy.”
The MP also laid emphasis on the Israeli violations against Jerusalem and its people like imposing a temporal division on al-Aqsa Mosque, escalating the break-ins into it, arresting minors, carrying out armed assaults against worshipers and students, demolishing a huge number of Muslim graves where some companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), martyrs and Muslim icons were laid to rest, and establishing fake Jewish graves in an attempt to prove the Jews’ alleged historical right to the land.
Abu Halabiya warned that the diggings under and around al-Aqsa Mosque is posing a serious threat to the whole area, and slammed Israel’s enforcement of a spatio-temporal division of holy al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as confiscating thousands of acres of the Palestinian lands, establishing new settlements and expanding the existing settlements by building thousands of housing units.
Abu Halabiya declared that the Israeli harassments like stipulating a punishment of up to 20 years imprisonment on anyone throwing stones at Israelis, and demolishing Jerusalemites’ homes under pretext of unlicensed construction will never weaken the steadfastness or determination of the Palestinian people. He also emphasized that the current crises Gaza is preoccupied with will never distract Gazans from protecting Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque which is on top of their priorities.
The MP stressed that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is a legitimate right according to the International Law and preventing its reconstruction provokes the Gazans and may ignite a new war.
“Unfortunately, Arabs and Muslims are not fulfilling their roles in protecting Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque,” Abu Halabiya charged, adding: “Arab countries are preoccupied with their own affairs and have totally forgotten the Palestinian cause.”
The MP concluded by saying: “Muslims and Arabs are supposed to provide the Palestinians with all forms of support; because by defending al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem and Palestine we are actually defending the whole Arab and Muslim nation; Palestine is an Islamic endowment for all Muslims and not restricted to the Palestinians.” (T/P006/R03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
