JERUSALEM: Two Israeli lawmakers have visited a flashpoint Jerusalem shrine after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly lifted a ban on Israeli parliamentarians entering the site.
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and Likud party member Sharren Haskel visited the hilltop compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, on Sunday.
The compound is considered the holiest site for Jews, the site of the two biblical Temples, and today is home to Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. It is the emotional epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Netanyahu had instituted a ban on Israeli lawmakers visiting the site in November 2015 as a measure to ease tensions with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu’s office had no comment about the lawmakers’ visits.
Israeli lawmakers visit contested Jerusalem holy site
Israeli lawmakers visit contested Jerusalem holy site
- Netanyahu had instituted a ban on Israeli lawmakers visiting the site in November 2015 as a measure to ease tensions with the Palestinians.
Palestine, Egypt officials discuss Gaza safety, security
- Talks also on strategies for stability in Israeli-ravaged Occupied Territories
LONDON: Hussein Al-Sheikh, deputy president of the Palestinian Authority, discussed security and diplomatic issues during separate meetings in Cairo with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati and Hassan Rashad, director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service.
Al-Sheikh briefed Egyptian officials on the latest developments regarding the Occupied Territories, in the presence of Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, head of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service.
The discussion on Sunday also focused on strategies for achieving stability and security for the Palestinian people, and progressing to the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, as reported by the Wafa news agency.
Officials aim to improve coordination and consultation to tackle the challenges facing the Israeli-ravaged Palestine and the wider region.
Al-Sheikh might become Palestine’s president in the event of a power vacuum in the Palestinian Authority, currently led by 90-year-old Mahmoud Abbas.
