Jerusalem, Oct 22: Palestinians denounced today a "provocative" visit to Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound by Israel's Interior Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi. Accompanied by Israeli police officers, Hanegbi toured the site which is sacred to both Jews and Muslims for around an hour, according to officials from the Waqf, the Muslim authority in charge of the site said.
"This visit is provocative and unjustified," Waqf Director Adnane al-Husseini told reporters, comparing it to a visit to the site in September 2000 by then Israeli opposition leader and current Prime Minister Ariel Sharon which triggered the Palestinian Intifada.
The visit was also condemned by Palestinian Authority Minister Saeb Erakat, who said it was designed to "provoke an escalation of violence and extremism in the region."
The compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is both the third holiest site in Islam and the most sacred spot in Judaism.
Hanegbi, a member of Sharon's Likud Party, earlier this summer authorised the reopening of the compound to non-Muslims who had been largely prevented from visiting since the start of the Palestinian uprising.
Bureau Report