In remarks carried by Palestine Today on Saturday, Sheikh Sabri described allowing the ‘silent prayer’ at Al-Aqsa as a dangerous move as it legitimates Jewish prayers at the holy compound.
“Jewish ‘silent prayer’ is a move aimed at imposing Israeli authority on Al-Aqsa courtyards ahead of implementing divisions schemes in the holy mosque,” Sheikh Sabri said.
He described as offensive an Israeli court decision allowing Jews to perform ‘silent prayers’ at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“The decision is offensive to Al-Aqsa and all Muslims across the world, especially that it is void and released by a non-specialized court,” Palestine Today quoted the Palestinian preacher as saying.
He also warned that the Jews have been in the latest weeks escalating attempts to perform their rituals in the holy compound.
“An Israeli plan has been set years ago and is aimed at imposing Israeli authority over Al-Aqsa Mosque. This plan is being slowly implemented amid Arab silence,” Sheikh Sabri warned.
Earlier on Thursday, a top Muslim body denounced the Israeli court decision as illegal.
“Such illegal decisions constitute an unprecedented attack on the inalienable religious rights of the Islamic nation and its heritage, a provocation to the feelings of Muslims all over the world, and a violation of freedom of worship and the sanctity of holy places,” said Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef Al-Othaimeen.
On Wednesday, an Israeli judge ruled in an unprecedented decision that the silent prayer of Jews at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex was not a “criminal act.”
This came in an appeal by Rabbi Aryeh Lippo against a police ban on his visits to the flashpoint site.
However, an Israeli court later on Friday upheld a ban on the ‘silent prayer’, upending a lower court’s decision that had sparked fury across the Muslim world.
