Israel Gives Waqf Deadline in Closure

YERUSHALAYIM (AP) —
temple mount
Palestinians take part in Friday prayers outside Sha’ar Harachamim, earlier this month. (Sliman Khader/Flash90)

An Israeli court has set a 60-day deadline for the Jordanian-appointed council that oversees Muslim holy sites in Yerushalayim to respond to its closure of a disputed structure on Har HaBayis.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry called on Israel to rescind its “dangerous” court-ordered closure Sunday, saying that the Al-Aqsa mosque compound “is not subject to Israeli jurisdiction” and falls under the “exclusive authority of the Waqf,” or Islamic council.

The Waqf says it will continue operating in the structure while Jordan and Israel attempt to reach a settlement in the coming weeks.

Israel shuttered the structure in 2003, claiming it was used by a group connected with Islamic terrorists. The Waqf re-opened the area recently, leading to tense standoffs between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police.

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!