PA: It is not the UAE’s right to interfere in Al-Aqsa Mosque’s affairs

The UAE does not have the right to interfere in the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday according to Arabi21.

After leaks that the UAE gave permission to Jews to perform their rituals inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and allowed Israel to divide the Muslim holy site, Abbas’ aide, Nabeel Shaath, stressed: “It is not the UAE’s right to speak about the affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

In an interview with Arabi21, Shaath said: “The UAE sought to appease the United States of America, but not in return for occupied lands such as what happened in Sinai or the Golan Heights.”

“As an independent state, the UAE does not have the right to violate the rights of the Palestinian people, the rights of the Beirut summit or international law.”

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Shaath stressed that the UAE does not have the right to interpret international law according to its wishes or “approach the rights of the Palestinian people and their holy land – Palestine”.

He stressed: “This is completely rejected.”

On 13 August, US President Donald Trump announced a peace deal between the UAE and Israel brokered by Washington.

Abu Dhabi said the deal was an effort to stave off Tel Aviv’s planned annexation of the occupied West Bank, however, opponents believe normalisation efforts have been in the offing for many years as Israeli officials have made official visits to the UAE and attended conferences in the country which had no diplomatic or other ties with the occupation state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu however denied this saying annexation is not off the table, but has simply been delayed.

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