-Top leadership condemns Israeli abuses against Palestinians
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday said it was a shame that the Israeli apartheid continued against the Palestinian people.
On Twitter, the president said that the atrocious attack on peaceful praying Muslims in Palestine was given the usual media spin of ‘clashes’.
“My brothers don’t lose hope. Time is near when International Politics will be based on morality & not on vested interests,” the president hoped.
Moreover, The top civilian leadership on Sunday condemned Israel’s “apartheid” practices and violent attacks on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque that left more than 200 Palestinians wounded. The unrest followed Friday prayers when Israeli riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at Palestinians as violence erupted outside Islam’s third holiest site.
Israeli forces stormed the mosque’s plaza and fired sound grenades inside the building, where throngs of worshippers, including women and children, were praying on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. Competing claims to East Jerusalem, home to major shrines of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, lie at the heart of the conflict and have also triggered violence in the past.
It is among territories that Palestinians seek for a future state. US-sponsored statehood negotiations with Israel stalled in 2014. Israel deems all of Jerusalem as its capital, a status not recognised abroad.
Police defended their actions as security moves, but these were seen as provocations by Muslims who accuse Israel of threatening their freedom of worship.
“Strongly condemn Israeli Forces’ attack esp during Ramazan on Palestinians in Qibla-e-Awaal, Al-Aqsa Mosque, violating all norms of humanity and international law,” Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a tweet.
“We reiterate support for Palestinian people. International community must take immediate action to protect Palestinians and their legitimate rights.”
The sentiment was echoed by President Dr Arif Alvi. “It is a shame that Israeli apartheid against Palestinians continues. Atrocious attack on peaceful praying Muslims is given the usual media spin of ‘clashes,’” he tweeted.
“My brothers don’t lose hope,” he added. “Time is near when International Politics will be based on morality & not on vested interests.” The current wave of protests broke out at the beginning of Ramadan three weeks ago when Israel restricted gatherings at a popular meeting spot outside Jerusalem’s Old City neighbourhood.
Israel removed the restrictions, briefly calming the situation, but protests have reignited in recent days over the threatened evictions in East Jerusalem. Other recent developments also contributed to the tense atmosphere, including the postponement of Palestinian elections, deadly violence in which a Palestinian teenager was killed.
On Monday, the Supreme Court of Israel is set to decide whether to uphold the eviction of six families from the neighborhood in favour of Jewish settlers, New York Times reported.
