TEHRAN, Jan 4 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry, yesterday, condemned the visit by a far-right Israeli minister to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem as “sacrilege” of the holy site and violation of international law.
Such “sacrilegious acts” also amount to an affront to the values and sanctities of the world’s Muslims, the ministry’s spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said, in a statement published on the ministry’s website, warning against the “adventurist and provocative” actions of the new hardline Israeli government.
Highlighting the Palestinian liberation cause and Jerusalem as the top priorities of the Islamic world, Kanaani called on the international community, including the United Nations, to prevent “aggression and brutal acts” by Israel against the Palestinian people and Jerusalem.
Earlier yesterday, Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the flashpoint holy site of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, sparking furious reactions and strong condemnations from the Palestinians and Islamic countries in the Middle East.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the most sacred site, is regarded by Muslims as their third holiest site.
The holy site has been administered by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, a Jordanian body, since 1948. Under a 1967 agreement between Israel and Jordan, non-Muslim worshippers can visit the compound but are prohibited from praying there.
