Ramallah: Hardliners in the Israeli Knesset want to propose legislation effectively banning Palestinian members of the Knesset from entering Al Haram Al Sharif in occupied East Jerusalem.
They say that the Palestinian MPs have been the ones leading Palestinians from 1948 areas in defending the holy Muslim site.
Leading the drive is Israeli Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel of the Jewish Home Party, who leads regular raids of Jewish colonists, himself, to the holy shrine.
A video of Palestinian Knesset member Jamal Zahalka of the Joint Arab List yelling at Jewish colonists at Al Haram Al Sharif has gone viral.
During his visit to the holy site, Zahalka shouted at a group of Jewish colonists: “Crazy criminals. You are all Kahanists, fascists, racists. Get out of here. You hurt Muslims.”
He then turned his attention to the Israeli occupation police he said: “Why are you letting them in? It is a disgrace. Only to hurt Muslims’ feelings?”
Former Israeli foreign minister and leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beytenu party, Avigdor Lieberman has called for Zahalka to be put on trial for ‘assaulting Jews’. He called for Israeli law enforcement to clamp down on Palestinian ‘rioters’.
“Zahalka yelled at Jews to go away and he said he was defending his home. He should know that Al Haram Al Sharif is not his home and neither is the state of Israel,” Lieberman said.
Later, Zahalka clarified that he had no problem for people from all religions to enter.
“Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, any innocent visit is fine. But there is a problem if there is a provocative entry intended to harm the sanctity of the place and hold prayers,” he said.
Israeli occupation forces have beefed up their presence in East Jerusalem as the Israeli regime has allocated millions of dollars extra in what Palestinians say is a plan to officially ‘judaise’ the holy city.
With an ban placed on most Palestinians from entering Al Haram Al Sharif, observers say there are only the Palestinians of 1948 and a handful of Jerusalemites to defend it.
An open-ended ban entry to Al Haram Al Sharif is currently in place for Jerusalemites and West Bankers under the age of 50. It remains unclear if the ban is just until the end of the Jewish feast of Sukkot which ends on October 6 or will continue after the feast.
