Malaysia condemns Israeli ‘provocation’ at Al-Aqsa Mosque

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Malaysia on Wednesday strongly condemned a visit by an Israeli minister to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

The “orchestrated incursion” was a clear “provocation and aggression” against the political status quo of Jerusalem and Al-Haram Al-Sharif, said the Southeast Asian nation’s Foreign Ministry in a statement.

On Tuesday, Israel’s new National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, a day after announcing he postponed the visit amid warnings of unrest.

Expressing solidarity with Palestinians, Malaysia called on the international community to “hold Israeli regime accountable for such illegal act.”

Kuala Lumpur also called on Tel Aviv to “cease immediately provocation in the peace and stability.”

Malaysia reaffirmed its “unwavering” support for the Palestinian and their “cause to achieve freedom from illegal occupation, and realize their aspirations for an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as their capital.”

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.