Israel says it will make decisions on Al-Aqsa Mosque without 'foreign' interference

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday his government is responsible for all decisions related to Jerusalem and the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex without any "foreign" interference.

"All decisions regarding the Temple Mount and Jerusalem will be made by the Israeli government, which holds sovereignty over the city, without any foreign considerations," Bennett said in statements cited by local media during a Cabinet meeting, using the Jewish name of the Al-Aqsa complex.

He added, however, that Israel will continue to maintain a "respectful" attitude toward members of all religions in Jerusalem.

Bennett’s statements came after his coalition member Mansour Abbas, leader of the Islamist Ra'am party, said the key to solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is through establishing a Palestinian state "with Jerusalem as its capital with Al-Aqsa Mosque as its heart."

Abbas said his staying in Bennett’s coalition government will be based on the results of a joint Israeli-Jordanian meeting set to take place soon to discuss the situation in Al-Aqsa complex, according to Israeli media.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar