Jewish settlers spray racist graffiti at Jerusalem’s Bab al-Rahma

Jerusalem (QNN) – Jewish settlers sprayed racist anti-Arab and Muslim graffiti today at the walls of Bab al-Rahma, (Gate of Mercy), a section inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem’s Old City which was recently reopened after 16 years of closure by Israeli occupation authorities.

The spraying of the racist logos was apparently in response to the reopening by thousands of Muslim worshipers, most of them Palestinians, of Bab al-Rahma inside holy Al-Aqsa Mosque last Friday.

Palestinians were fearing Israel was planning to turn that area into a Jewish temple in the heart of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after Jewish fanatics were seen in recent weeks holding Talmudic rituals in that area under Israeli police protection.

Israeli police has ever since been trying to re-close the area to Muslim worshipers. But the Islamic Waqf department and Palestinian institutions have insisted on keeping the Bab al-Rahma prayer area open for Muslim worship after it became clear to them that Israel wants to keep it off s for Muslims in order to give Jewish fanatics, who call for rebuilding their temple inside Al-Aqsa compound, free access and presence in the area.

Israeli police also recently detained over 100 Palestinian activists and religious figures in Jerusalem and later ordered them to stay away fromAl-Aqsa compound for weeks. The detention included the head of the Higher Islamic Council, Sheikh Abdul Azim Salhab,

Palestinians have warned of outbreak of violence if Israel insists on changing the status quo at Al-Aqsa compound, the third holiest site in Islam and which is the ground for only Muslim worship.

The first European Union-Arab League summit held in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday and Monday has reiterated in its final communique the importance of preserving the pre-1967 status quo in occupied Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa compound.