ALECSO: Israeli occupation seeks to change status quo in Jerusalem

Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) yesterday condemned Israeli settlers and Members of the Knesset who opened a synagogue in the Silwan neighbourhood of Batan Al-Hawa to the north of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The opening ceremony coincided with a meeting held between US President Donald Trump’s aide Jared Kushner and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.

This proves that the Israeli occupation, ALECSO said, rejects any peace plan. This is also an attempt to put pressure on the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinians to accept the de facto policies.

On Thursday, Israeli ministers, MKs and rabbis inaugurated the synagogue under heavy Israeli military protection in a house owned by the Palestinian family of Abu-Nab. The house was occupied in 2015 and this synagogue is the first in the area.

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Two copies of the Jewish holy book, the Torah, were brought into the house during the opening ceremony. A number of local streets were closed to allow the event to take place.

The Israeli Minister of Internal Security Gilad Ardan visited the occupied Palestinian house yesterday, also under the protection of heavily armed military officers.

Responding to these development ALECSO said that the Israeli occupation has been trying to reinforce its narrative about the history of the holy city of Jerusalem by changing the status quo in the holy city.

It stressed that the daily Israeli violations and aggression against the Palestinians in the holy city is a “violation of all the international laws and conventions”, and called on the international community and rights groups to stop the Israeli violations and force Israel to accept the international resolutions regarding the city’s Arab identity.