As an Israeli court ruled in favor of three Jewish minors who recited the 'Shema Yisrael' prayer at the Temple Mount compound, Jordan condemned the act calling it a breach of international law.
For decades the Al Aqsa Mosque compound has been a flashpoint of Israeli Palestinian tensions. Under an informal arrangement called the status quo, Jews are only allowed to visit the site if they refrain from religious rites, which was violated by the three teenagers.
The ruling came on Sunday, with Judge Zion Saharay stating that bowing down and reciting a prayer cannot possibly be considered an action that restricts freedom of religion. "When the appellants conduct themselves in accordance with the public call of the police commissioner and according to the Law on the Protection of Holy Places, they cannot be suspected of committing a criminal offense," he said.
Citing year old comments from Police Chief Kobi Shabtai, the judge insisted that freedom of religion for "all residents of the country and the territories" would be ensured by the police officials.
With special emphasis on the decision only being directed towards temporarily banning the suspects from returning to the holy site, the judge made it clear that no mention of the general Jewish population being allowed to pray at the Temple Mount has been made.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office also issued a statement further clarifying that no changes in the status quo will be made, as reported by the Times of Israel.
"There is no change, nor is any change planned, on the status quo of the Temple Mount," the statement said. "The Magistrate Court's decision is focused exclusively on the issue of the conduct of the minors brought before it, and does not constitute a broader determination regarding the freedom of worship on the Temple Mount."
Meanwhile, Jordan's foreign ministry is furious over the ruling calling out the decision as one that will enable "extremists" to conduct ceremonies at the site. "The ruling is legally null and void according to international law, which does not recognize the authority of the Israeli judicial system on occupied Palestinian territories from 1967, including East Jerusalem," the foreign ministry said in an official statement.
Referring to the resolutions passed by the UN Security Council, the ministry criticized the ruling as "a gross violation" of international decisions relating to Jerusalem. Urging the US to step in, the office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas viewed the decision as an attack on their people and sanctity.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the Hamas terror group also threatened the Israeli government on "crossing all red lines." Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh along with Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Jihad Nahalka has warned against the upcoming Flag March, expected to pass through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City next week.
"We will confront [Israel] with all of our capabilities," Haniyeh said further adding that any violation of Al Aqsa Mosque is unacceptable to them, while Nahalka, in a video address called the Israeli action to be "deliberately insulting Muslims" and trampling on the rights of Palestinians.
