Far right rabbi storms Al-Aqsa

Radical right-wing Rabbi Yehuda Glick was escorted under armed protection into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, days after an Israeli court lifted an order banning him from entering the Muslim holy site, Ma’an reported.

The director of the compound, Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, told Ma’an that Glick and his escorts entered the area via the Mughrabi Gate, in a move likely to provoke unrest.

“When an extremist like Glick storms Al-Aqsa Mosque, this stirs up troubles and provokes Muslims. We hold the Israeli police responsible for that,” Al-Kiswani said.

He added that the Palestinian Ministry of Endowment “denounces and opposes the entry of any [Israeli] settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Last week, an Israeli court dropped charges against Glick 18 months after he reportedly assaulted a Palestinian woman while touring the holy site.

The court reportedly said the testimony of 67-year-old Palestinian Ziva Badarna – who said she was physically attacked by Glick in August 2014 – had been fabricated.