Jerusalem-Palestine Youth News

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein warned of dangerous intentions behind a move by Israeli extremists to reopen a synagogue near the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City Thursday.
Hussein said the synagogue is located near Silsila [Chain] gate, only a hundred meters away from the Islamic Dome of the Rock.
Hussein also criticized Israeli authorities for preventing Muslim worshippers from reaching the Al-Aqsa mosque during the holy month of Ramadan while allowing excavation to go forward near the mosque. He also criticized Israeli extremists’ vandalism at Muslim holy sites, such as the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron.
The Mufti accused Israel of having longstanding plans to take control of the Al-Aqsa compound. He underlined the fact that the second Intifada, also called the Al-Aqsa uprising was sparked on 28 September, 2000, by a controversial visit by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Sheikh Hussein disputed Israeli assertions that there is an ancient Jewish temple buried somewhere beneath the Al-Aqsa mosque.