Chilean president's visit to Aqsa complex angers Israel

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel on Wednesday protested a visit by Chilean President Sebastian Pinera to East Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex along with Palestinian officials.

Pinera, on a three-visit to Israel, toured the flashpoint site on Tuesday, accompanied by Palestinian Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Fadi al-Hadami and officials from the Religious Endowment Ministry.

Angry over the visit, the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned Chilean Ambassador Rodrigo Fernandez to protest the tour, describing Pinera's visit as a "serious violation of clear procedures and agreements".

The Chilean president is scheduled to meet Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Wednesday.

For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount", claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, in which the Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

In a move never recognized by the international community, Israel annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as the self-proclaimed Jewish state’s “eternal and undivided” capital.