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The Israeli Cabinet held a meeting under the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on May 21, 2023. Photo/@IsraeliPM/Twitter
JERUSALEM – The Israeli occupation government held a cabinet meeting on Sunday (21/5/2023) in the tunnel under the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
This provocative action is an attempt by the Israeli regime to demonstrate the sovereignty of the Zionist state over the occupied city of Jerusalem and its holy sites.
The tunnel in question is located under the Al-Buraq (“Western Wall”) Wall of the Al-Aqsa Shrine.
According to the Israeli daily Maariv, during the meeting, the cabinet approved a large budget worth USD 17 million and a number of Judaization (Judaization) projects for Jerusalem.
The budget and the project are aimed at encouraging more tunnels to be dug under the Al-Aqsa Mosque which, inevitably, weakens the ancient structure.
“Many times, my friends and I had to resist international pressure from those who would divide Jerusalem again,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told AFP.
He added, “A few days ago, Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) said the Jews have no connection with Jerusalem and Al-Haram, therefore, I told him that we have a meeting today in the depths of Jerusalem and Haram. -his.”
Palestinian factions and the Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli government for holding a cabinet meeting under the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time since 2017.
“This is a dangerous escalation of the religious war carried out by the Israeli occupation against the holy city of Jerusalem,” said Hamas Palestinian spokesman Hazem Qasem.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ adviser on Jerusalem Affairs, Ahmed Ruwaidi, said the Israeli government is trying to strengthen its sovereignty in East Jerusalem and presenting a false narrative at the expense of the historical reality of the territory.
He added, “The meeting promoted projects aimed at the forced displacement of indigenous Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods of Jerusalem.”
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