PA Claims Israel Will ‘Destroy Al-Aqsa and Build Temple’ after Annexation

By: TPS

Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki has recently appeared to instigate a religious war between the Muslim world and Israel when he alleged that Israel plans “to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and build the alleged Temple” after it declares sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria.

Al-Malki made his statement in a video conference of Arab officials at the level of foreign ministers regarding Israel’s presumed future plans to apply Israeli law to the Jordan Valley and the Israeli cities and towns in Judea and Samaria, the official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported Thursday.

“[Israel’s annexation] will place the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque… under full Israeli control, in order to execute their plan to promote their false narrative in order to destroy it and build their alleged Temple. This will turn the conflict from a political conflict into a religious conflict whose end will be bad and bitter, will undermine the stability, and will destroy the security and peace in the region and the world,” Al-Malki told the Arab officials.

The Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), which reported on the statements, noted that “Al-Malki’s statement and prediction of ‘religious war’ functions as a call to Palestinians to take to violence and terror in the event Israel goes through with the annexation.”

PMW, an incitement and anti-Semitism watchdog, further pointed out that Al-Malki’s statement “joins a long line of music videos and fillers broadcast by the PA designed to ignite the Palestinian street, calling to carry out suicide bombings and stabbings and ‘restore honor,’ and fight with ‘daggers and knives,’ and ‘redeem Jerusalem’.”

According to the US-formulated Deal of the Century peace plan, Israel can declare sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria from the beginning of July.

The US’ Deal of the Century peace plan, officially titled “Vision for Peace, Prosperity, and a Brighter Future,” calls for the Israeli annexation of some 30% of the territory in Judea and Samaria already under its control, with the remaining 70% becoming a Palestinian state.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has rejected the plan even before its details were published.

In other developments,  the Border Police’s Undercover Unit on Monday was successful in preventing the smuggling of drugs into Israel from Egypt.

During the operation, the forces identified a number of suspects arriving on ATVs from the Egyptian side of the border toward Israel. The suspects began throwing several sacks into Israeli territory, and the Border Policemen responded by shooting in the direction of the smugglers.

The smuggling was thwarted, and the forces located four bags of cannabis and another bag of cannabis seeds weighing about 100 kg.

In addition, an M-16 cartridge was seized, apparently indicating that the smugglers on the Israeli side of the border were armed.

A search of the area led to the exposure of a vehicle and a water tank that were allegedly used by the smugglers.

(TPS)