Flag march, Israeli provocations exacerbate situation in Palestinian lands: Egypt’s Azhar

CAIRO – 30 May 2022: The observatory of Egypt’s top Islamic authority, Al-Azhar, has warned that the so-called Israeli flag march and the continuous Israeli provocations will only lead to exacerbating the situation in the Palestinian lands.

Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism said in a statement that it was following closely on the Zionist flag march in the old city, which chanted racist slogans against the Palestinian people amid calls for demolishing Al-Aqsa Moaque.

This is in addition to calls for constructing the so-called third temple and the closure of vicinity of Bab al-Amud and the Old City.

This came in conjunction with strong confrontations that took place between the Palestinian people and the Zionist settlers and continuous attacks by settlers throughout the occupied State of Palestine, the observatory said.

The observatory also highlighted the intransigence of the occupation’s government by not canceling the flag march or change its course, which took place from Bab al-Amud and the alleys of occupied Old Jerusalem all the way to the courtyard of Al-Buraq Wall.

Egypt has condemned Israeli authorities for allowing groups of extremists to storm the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the protection of the Israeli police.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Hafez warned in a statement on Sunday against possible tensions and escalation due to such practices, which target stability in the Palestinian territories.

“Al-Aqsa Mosque is a purely Islamic endowment for Muslims,” he said, calling for an end to violations targeting the Islamic and Christian Arab identity of the city of Jerusalem and all its holy sites or changing the historical and legal status quo.

Hafez called on the Israeli authorities to bear their responsibility in terms of the rules of international law and to intervene to stop those provocative practices that inflame the feelings of Muslims.