Director of the Jerusalem Endowment and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib has called on the Israeli authorities to stop the continuing attacks on the Umayyad Palaces, southwest of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In a letter of protest sent Thursday to the head of Jerusalem police, Khatib demanded that the Israeli authorities halt the excavations and end the destruction of Arab and Islamic heritage sites.
He called for the removal of the makeshift metal roof set up in the centre of the Umayyad Palaces site. He also called for removing the metal and wooden platforms set up to expand the area designated for Jewish prayers next to the Mosque’s Western Wall.
“The Israeli police should remove all Judaization labels and pillars that have been entered into the site, and stop the Jewish religious prayers and parties,” Khatib said, calling for the Umayyad palaces to be returned to Jordanian Islamic Waqf.
The Israeli authorities decided last week to expand the platforms.