Saudi Arabia warns of Israeli plans to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque

Saudi Arabia has warned of the danger of Israeli plan to Judaise and divide Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling it a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the mosque, the principles of international law and United Nations’ resolutions, Anadolu news agency reported on Monday.

The Kingdom also expressed sorrow over the crises witnessed by a number of Arab countries, expressing hope that the new Islamic year will see an end to all the crises and difficulties.

According to Anadolu, the country’s Council of Ministers renewed “Saudi Arabia’s calls for the international community to take serious steps and double the efforts to end all conflicts and to stand in the face of terrorism to achieve what would ensure, God’s will, security and stability for all countries of the world.”

The remarks came during a meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday afternoon at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. The meeting was chaired by the crown prince, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, as well as the first deputy prime minister and minister of defence.

In his statement to the Saudi national press agency, the minister of culture and information, Abdul Aziz bin Mohiuddin Khoja, reportedly explained that the Council of Ministers was briefed on a number of reports about the latest developments in the region and around the world, especially the crises witnessed by a number of neighbouring Arab countries.

The Council of Ministers affirmed that these events and their repercussions on security and stability in the region – the continuation of the killing, destruction, terrorist acts, corruption and dispersal of the sons of the Islamic nation – are painful and sad for every Muslim.

The council, according to Khoja, called for the end of all the crises and difficulties in view of the beginning of the new Islamic year, 1436, and expressed the hope that this year would be a year of safety and security for the Arab and Islamic nations and the whole world.

The body also “renewed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of terrorist acts witnessed in the North Sinai area in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt.”

Regarding to the dangers posed to the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, the council referred to the statement issued by the League of Arab States, which included warnings against the danger of this scheme and its consequences for destabilising security and stability in the region and threatening international peace and security.

The Saudi official body also reaffirmed the statement of the members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference before the Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East, regarding the continued Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque and the abuse of worshipers, confirming the Islamic, Arab and Palestinian identity of occupied Jerusalem, and stressing that the international community has to be bear its responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security, while taking all the necessary measures to put an end to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.