The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has issued a statement condemning what it calls “an attack” by Israeli police Sunday on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. According to the statement:
September 14, 2015 The Muslim Brotherhood strongly condemns the attack by 50 extremist Zionist settlers – led by Israeli Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and protected by Israeli police – who used violence to force their way into Al-Aqsa Mosque complex at dawn on Sunday, September 13th, 2015. This is an extension of an ongoing Israeli-occupation terror campaign against Palestinians, in order to divide the mosque compound physically and by allotting certain hours every day only for Jewish settlers.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood solemnly salutes the people of Palestine who rose in anger in the face of these repeated attacks on Muslims’ third holiest site. The group further salutes their steadfastness in the struggle to defend Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque against all the occupiers’ heinous plots and schemes. The Brotherhood stands in full support for and solidarity with the Palestinian men and women who face up to the Zionist scheme to demolish Al-Aqsa, and to change Jerusalem’s Arab and Muslim identity, and their endeavors to stop extremist Jewish settlers’ crimes and violations.
The Muslim Brotherhood once again calls on the United Nations and all international organizations to indeed apply relevant laws and international treaties to deter the Israeli occupiers and stop their aggressive practices. The group also appeals to free, fair-minded people of the world and all the Arab and Muslim peoples to raise their voices high in the face of this attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to the governments of Arab and Muslim countries to demand an immediate end to the Israeli occupation and the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Muslim Brotherhood
Sunday – September 13, 2015
However Israeli media reported that police entered the compound to prevent Muslim youth from massing and that they discovered pipe bombs at the site:
The round of violence began Sunday morning, with security forces seizing pipe bombs at the flashpoint site — holy to Jews and Muslims — in an operation carried out hours before Jews prepared to celebrate the new year. The Shin Bet security service alerted police to the cache, apparently an effort by Palestinians to stock up on bombs, flares and rocks ahead of an organized riot.
On Monday, a policeman and a young Jewish man were hurt as the clashes resumed. Nine people were also arrested.
Police chief Bentzi Sau vowed Sunday that protesters would not be allowed to threaten security of visitors to the site, while Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan warned that access to the site could be affected by the discovery of the pipe bombs.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Tuesday evening with senior political and defense officials to discuss Israel’s response to the outbreak of violence.
Police said Sunday that they entered the hilltop compound to ensure that Muslim youths massing there did not harass Jews or tourists during the morning visiting hours.
Read the entire article here.
At the end of last month, the GMBDW reported that the country’s Internal Security minister had asked the Minister of Defense to urgently ban two organizations operating on the Temple Mount and funded by the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel (the charities were subsequently banned.) In January 2015, we reported that the internal security service Shin Bet had shut down three Islamic charities for allegedly inciting violence against Jews and Israeli security forces. According an Israel media report, the charities were created in October 2014 by the northern branch of the Islamic movement in Israel essentially comprising the Israeli Muslim Brotherhood.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is often the subject of various Global Muslim Brotherhood conspiracies theories involving alleged Israeli plots and plans to destroy the mosque.