The United Arab Emirates on Monday warned that any moves to change the historic identity of Jerusalem threaten peace, and called on Israel to put an end to violence following the latest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the city. &nbsp;

The statement was a rare rebuke of Israel by the UAE, which has welcomed tens of thousands of Israeli tourists and signed a slew of deals to strengthen bilateral ties since the administration of President Donald Trump brokered a historic and surprise deal to normalise relations between the two countries some seven months ago. &nbsp;

The UAE move laid the path for Bahrain and Sudan to also formalise ties with Israel.&nbsp;

The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement, carried on the Emirates' state news agency, that it was concerned over acts of violence committed by right-wing extremist groups in the occupied East Jerusalem. &nbsp;

The ministry called on Israeli authorities to assume responsibility toward de-escalation and putting an end to all aggressions and practices that perpetuate tension and hostility. &nbsp;

The UAE cautioned it was necessary to preserve Jerusalem's historical identity and maintain maximum self-restraint to avoid the region slipping into new levels of instability in a way that threatens peace. &nbsp;

The immediate spark for the unrest was Israel's decision to barricade a plaza outside of Jerusalem's Old City where Palestinian residents traditionally gather in the evenings during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. &nbsp;

The move deepened Palestinian concerns about Israel's control over east Jerusalem, which is home to sacred Jewish and Muslim sites.&nbsp;

Hundreds of young Palestinians took to the streets each evening to protest the barricades. &nbsp;

Crowds hurled stones, firebombs and other objects at police, while officers used stun grenades and water cannons to disperse them. &nbsp;

The Israeli decision appeared to have been reversed on late Sunday, when the barricades were suddenly removed. &nbsp;

The violence had escalated to cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas group. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United Arab Emirates on Monday warned that any moves to change the historic identity of Jerusalem threaten peace, and called on Israel to put an end to violence following the latest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the city.

The United Arab Emirates on Monday warned that any moves to change the historic identity of Jerusalem threaten peace, and called on Israel to put an end to violence following the latest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the city. The statement was a rare rebuke of Israel by the UAE, which has welcomed tens of thousands of Israeli tourists and signed a slew of deals to strengthen bilateral ties since the administration of President Donald Trump brokered a historic and surprise deal to normalise relations between the two countries some seven months ago. The UAE move laid the path for Bahrain and Sudan to also formalise ties with Israel. The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement, carried on the Emirates' state news agency, that it was concerned over acts of violence committed by right-wing extremist groups in the occupied East Jerusalem. The ministry called on Israeli authorities to assume responsibility toward de-escalation and putting an end to all aggressions and practices that perpetuate tension and hostility. The UAE cautioned it was necessary to preserve Jerusalem's historical identity and maintain maximum self-restraint to avoid the region slipping into new levels of instability in a way that threatens peace. The immediate spark for the unrest was Israel's decision to barricade a plaza outside of Jerusalem's Old City where Palestinian residents traditionally gather in the evenings during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. The move deepened Palestinian concerns about Israel's control over east Jerusalem, which is home to sacred Jewish and Muslim sites. Hundreds of young Palestinians took to the streets each evening to protest the barricades. Crowds hurled stones, firebombs and other objects at police, while officers used stun grenades and water cannons to disperse them. The Israeli decision appeared to have been reversed on late Sunday, when the barricades were suddenly removed. The violence had escalated to cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas group. (With inputs from agencies)

UAE urges Israel to stop Jerusalem violence in rare rebuke 

Orthodox Christians across Egypt celebrated Palm Sunday, a day which commemorates Christ's arrival to the city of Jerusalem, amid coronavirus restrictions for the second year in a row.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Palm Sunday in Egypt

Palestinians gathered in celebration outside Jerusalem's Damascus Gate on Sunday night after barriers put up by Israeli police were removed. The plaze outside Damascus gate is a traditional gathering spot for Palestinians during the holy month of Ramazan.

Jerusalem clashes end: Palestinians cheer as Israeli barriers come down

The clashes were triggered by protests by Palestinian youth against gathering curbs during the holy month of Ramzan.

Jerusalem turns into a 'War Zone'

Nighttime clashes in East Jerusalem flare Palestine-Israel tensions

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Saturday drawing retaliatory air strikes, the Israeli military said, after nightly Ramzan clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police resumed in Jerusalem.&nbsp;

The pre-dawn exchange of fire broke months of relative quiet on the Israel-Gaza frontier. &nbsp;

Signalling it did not expect an immediate wider escalation, the military said it would not impose safety restrictions on Israelis living near the border. &nbsp;

But in a sign violence could continue, Israel's chief of staff Aviv Kohavi postponed a visit to Washington on Sunday, expected to focus on Iran, due to the 'events and possible developments’, according to a military statement. &nbsp;

In Jerusalem, Israeli-Palestinian tension has been higher than usual during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. Protests turned violent on Thursday with scores of arrests and injuries. &nbsp;

The unrest resumed on Friday night, when Palestinian youths gathered outside the walled Old City and scuffled with hundreds of Israeli police in riot gear.&nbsp;

Palestinians threw stones towards police firing water cannons. Others hurled rocks at an Israeli court building and smashed security cameras. The Palestine Red Crescent said eight Palestinians were injured.&nbsp;

Israeli police said the unrest later extended to a nearby Palestinian neighbourhood with Palestinians hurling fire-bombs at officers and throwing stones at Israeli vehicles and homes. Three Palestinians were arrested and four officers were injured.&nbsp;

In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops around military checkpoints near West Bank cities. Israel's border police said it dispersed hundreds hurling stones and fire-bombs. &nbsp;

In Gaza, Palestinian militants fired 36 rockets at Israel during the night, Israel's military said, soon after Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other armed groups issued a joint call for Palestinian resistance in Jerusalem. &nbsp;

Israeli aircraft retaliated with strikes on Hamas rocket launchers and underground infrastructure, the military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza or on the Israeli side of the border where most the rockets fell in open areas and six were intercepted. &nbsp;

The UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said the United Nations was working with all parties to deescalate the situation. In a written statement, he condemned the violence and called upon all sides to exercise restraint.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Saturday drawing retaliatory air strikes, the Israeli military said, after nightly Ramzan clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police resumed in Jerusalem.

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Saturday drawing retaliatory air strikes, the Israeli military said, after nightly Ramzan clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police resumed in Jerusalem. The pre-dawn exchange of fire broke months of relative quiet on the Israel-Gaza frontier. Signalling it did not expect an immediate wider escalation, the military said it would not impose safety restrictions on Israelis living near the border. But in a sign violence could continue, Israel's chief of staff Aviv Kohavi postponed a visit to Washington on Sunday, expected to focus on Iran, due to the 'events and possible developments’, according to a military statement. In Jerusalem, Israeli-Palestinian tension has been higher than usual during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. Protests turned violent on Thursday with scores of arrests and injuries. The unrest resumed on Friday night, when Palestinian youths gathered outside the walled Old City and scuffled with hundreds of Israeli police in riot gear. Palestinians threw stones towards police firing water cannons. Others hurled rocks at an Israeli court building and smashed security cameras. The Palestine Red Crescent said eight Palestinians were injured. Israeli police said the unrest later extended to a nearby Palestinian neighbourhood with Palestinians hurling fire-bombs at officers and throwing stones at Israeli vehicles and homes. Three Palestinians were arrested and four officers were injured. In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops around military checkpoints near West Bank cities. Israel's border police said it dispersed hundreds hurling stones and fire-bombs. In Gaza, Palestinian militants fired 36 rockets at Israel during the night, Israel's military said, soon after Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas and other armed groups issued a joint call for Palestinian resistance in Jerusalem. Israeli aircraft retaliated with strikes on Hamas rocket launchers and underground infrastructure, the military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza or on the Israeli side of the border where most the rockets fell in open areas and six were intercepted. The UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said the United Nations was working with all parties to deescalate the situation. In a written statement, he condemned the violence and called upon all sides to exercise restraint. (With inputs from agencies)

Clashes on Gaza border as Ramzan violence flares in Jerusalem 

Over 100 Palestinians were wounded as protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in east Jerusalem in overnight development. Clashes erupted on Thursday night. This is largest such incident since the start of Holy Muslim month of Ramadan/ Ramzan.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it had treated at least 105 people, with some 20 of them hospitalised. Israeli police said 20 officers were wounded, three of whom were taken to hospital.

Violence took place near the Old City. Police had barred access to some areas where Palestinians usually gather in large numbers during Ramadan.

During Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn to dusk, the promenade around the walls of the Old City is a popular place for Palestinians to get together after dark.

The protests erupted after videos posted online showed Palestinians being harrassed by Jewish youths who purportedly said "Death to Arabs"&nbsp;

Similar clashes earlier this week left four Palestinians injured, according to the Red Crescent.

Separately on Thursday night, the Israeli extreme-right group Lehava organised a march in west Jerusalem attended by hundreds to protest against anti-Jewish violence, the police said.

During the march, a policeman was injured in the face by stone-throwing Palestinians who had tried to hold a counter-protest, police said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

Over 100 Palestinians were wounded as protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in east Jerusalem in overnight development. Clashes erupted on Thursday night.

Over 100 Palestinians were wounded as protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in east Jerusalem in overnight development. Clashes erupted on Thursday night. This is largest such incident since the start of Holy Muslim month of Ramadan/ Ramzan. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it had treated at least 105 people, with some 20 of them hospitalised. Israeli police said 20 officers were wounded, three of whom were taken to hospital. Violence took place near the Old City. Police had barred access to some areas where Palestinians usually gather in large numbers during Ramadan. During Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn to dusk, the promenade around the walls of the Old City is a popular place for Palestinians to get together after dark. The protests erupted after videos posted online showed Palestinians being harrassed by Jewish youths who purportedly said "Death to Arabs" Similar clashes earlier this week left four Palestinians injured, according to the Red Crescent. Separately on Thursday night, the Israeli extreme-right group Lehava organised a march in west Jerusalem attended by hundreds to protest against anti-Jewish violence, the police said. During the march, a policeman was injured in the face by stone-throwing Palestinians who had tried to hold a counter-protest, police said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

Jerusalem: More than 100 injured as Palestinians clash with Israeli police

Crosses etched in mysterious abundance across the walls of Christianity's most sacred church were long assumed to be graffiti, but they may be the work of mediaeval masons paid to carve them by pilgrims, research suggests.

Graffiti or homage? Hi-tech imaging sheds light on Holy Sepulchre wall crosses

Pope leads Palm Sunday service in Vatican, mass takes place in Jerusalem

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. Russian Foreign Ministry said that Jerusalem should become the capital of two independent countries Israel and Palestine and it should also be open to the 3 faiths.

Russia On Jerusalem: City should become the capital of Israel and Palestine

In pictures: Jerusalem experiences rare snowfall

Snow covered Jerusalem holy sites on Thursday morning (February 18) after a storm and freezing temperatures hit the region. Onlookers gathered to watch as snow blanketed the golden Dome of the Rock and the adjacent Western Wall.

Jerusalem’s Old City turns white with snow

Israel's ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, have been at the centre of the country's struggles to control the spread of coronavirus.&nbsp;

On Tuesday night Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting coronavirus lockdown restrictions clashed with police officers in Jerusalem.

The crowd was protesting the enforcement of restrictions in schools and yeshivas in Haredi neighbourhoods.

Earlier on Sunday evening, a huge gathering of approximately 10,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews had filled Bnei Brak's streets, to mark the funeral of a senior rabbi who died after contracting Covid-19.

Israel Police had earlier spoken to high-ranking rabbis in the hours following the death of Rabbi Chaim Meir Wosner, a senior rabbinic authority and the dean of the Hachmei Lublin Yeshiva there to prevent mass gatherings similar to those at ultra-Orthodox funerals during the last week.

Wosner died at the age of 83. He contracted the Wuhan virus at a wedding last month. Police set up barricades around the funeral procession; protestors knocked them down and clashed with the police. This is just the latest such case of non-compliance.

Last month, similar scenes were witnessed in Jerusalem twice. Thousands of ultra-orthodox mourners attended the funerals of two prominent rabbis — both of whom were almost 100 years old and died of the Wuhan virus.

The pandemic-exhausted nation turned its rage on its supremely conservative community. Police deployed water cannons and arrested dozens of people. This happened on January 24. A crowd of orthodox Jewish demonstrators clashed with the police.

They wanted a school to be opened, to pray in synagogues, and organise mass weddings and funerals despite government restrictions. The community is being called a serial violator of rules.

The trend reflects in pandemic numbers. Orthodox Jews make up just over 10% of Israel's population of 9.2 million.

But they account for one-third of the Wuhan virus cases. They’ve been branded as Israel’s super spreaders. But action against them may be restricted to water cannons.

Israel is heading for polls, and orthodox Jews have a prominent voice. The parties they support called the Haredi religious political party often play kingmakers in Israel’s tight electoral contests.

They currently hold 16 seats in a parliament that has 120 seats.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, have been at the centre of the country's struggles to control the spread of coronavirus. On Tuesday night Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting coronavirus lockdown restrictions clashed with police officers in Jerusalem.

Israel's ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, have been at the centre of the country's struggles to control the spread of coronavirus. On Tuesday night Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting coronavirus lockdown restrictions clashed with police officers in Jerusalem. The crowd was protesting the enforcement of restrictions in schools and yeshivas in Haredi neighbourhoods. Earlier on Sunday evening, a huge gathering of approximately 10,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews had filled Bnei Brak's streets, to mark the funeral of a senior rabbi who died after contracting Covid-19. Israel Police had earlier spoken to high-ranking rabbis in the hours following the death of Rabbi Chaim Meir Wosner, a senior rabbinic authority and the dean of the Hachmei Lublin Yeshiva there to prevent mass gatherings similar to those at ultra-Orthodox funerals during the last week. Wosner died at the age of 83. He contracted the Wuhan virus at a wedding last month. Police set up barricades around the funeral procession; protestors knocked them down and clashed with the police. This is just the latest such case of non-compliance. Last month, similar scenes were witnessed in Jerusalem twice. Thousands of ultra-orthodox mourners attended the funerals of two prominent rabbis — both of whom were almost 100 years old and died of the Wuhan virus. The pandemic-exhausted nation turned its rage on its supremely conservative community. Police deployed water cannons and arrested dozens of people. This happened on January 24. A crowd of orthodox Jewish demonstrators clashed with the police. They wanted a school to be opened, to pray in synagogues, and organise mass weddings and funerals despite government restrictions. The community is being called a serial violator of rules. The trend reflects in pandemic numbers. Orthodox Jews make up just over 10% of Israel's population of 9.2 million. But they account for one-third of the Wuhan virus cases. They’ve been branded as Israel’s super spreaders. But action against them may be restricted to water cannons. Israel is heading for polls, and orthodox Jews have a prominent voice. The parties they support called the Haredi religious political party often play kingmakers in Israel’s tight electoral contests. They currently hold 16 seats in a parliament that has 120 seats. (With inputs from agencies)

Hundreds of hardline Haredim protest coronavirus enforcement in Jerusalem

As the trial against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed in Jerusalem, The PM said that not delaying his trial to after the elections would amount to election interference. Netanyahu once again denied the corruption charges against him and calls them a witch hunt.

Israeli PM Netanyahu denies corruption charges, calls it a witch hunt

Peering through enclosure windows, they were a popular source of entertainment at Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo. But the human visitors haven't been around for a month, since the start of a national coronavirus lockdown in Israel, and the animals miss staring at them, zookeepers say.

Coronavirus lockdown a lonely time for Jerusalem zoo animals

For some survivors of the Holocaust, the vow of "never forget" takes on a special meaning when they have only faded memories, or none at all, of parents they lost as young children. Leah Nebenzahl was a baby when her parents, Pipha and Zvi Herschman, were murdered in Nazi-occupied Poland. The stories and photos of Jewish youngsters, many of them orphans like Leah who were placed in seven children's homes for survivors in Europe after the war, are part of a new online exhibition - "My Lost Childhood" - by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust museum.

For one survivor, Holocaust memories exist only in faded photos

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, left Jerusalem on Thursday (December 24) for the West Bank town of Bethlehem to start muted Christmas festivities.

Bethlehem's Christmas in the time of COVID-19 pandemic

Where Jesus walked: Archaeologists recreate flooring of ancient Jewish temple

Customers are lining up at a Jerusalem bakery-cafe for the "Abu Dhabi" doughnut, a date-flavoured confectionery inspired by Israel's new relations with the United Arab Emirates.

"Abu Dhabi" doughnut a Hanukkah hit in Israel

As Mike Pompeo became the first US diplomat to visit a West Bank settlement, watchdog reports suggest that Israel is moving ahead with settlement plans in East Jerusalem. On this week's The West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis tells you how PM Netanyahu's new settlement plans could test his ties with a Biden White House. For more such stories, keep watching the West Asia post with Ghadi Francis every Friday at 8:30 PM IST, only on WION.

The West Asia Post | Episode 8 | Your Window to West Asia

EU diplomats were taunted by right-wing Israeli protesters on Monday during a visit to a sensitive east Jerusalem area where the Jewish state plans to build a new settler neighbourhood.&nbsp;

Several European Union envoys who had travelled to Givat Hamatos in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem to protest the planned construction of new Jewish settler homes were called "anti-Semites" by shouting protesters.&nbsp;

"EU shame on you," protesters shouted as diplomats tried to speak.&nbsp;

EU representative in the Palestinian Territories Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff said the aim of the visit was to "demonstrate our disagreement" with the Israeli plans.&nbsp;

Earlier this year, Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to build 2,000 homes for Jews in Givat Hamatos and 1,000 homes for Arabs in the adjacent mainly Palestinian neighbourhood of Beit Safafa.&nbsp;

Last week, the Israel Land Authority issued tenders to build more than 1,200 mainly residential units in Givat Hamatos.&nbsp;

Watchdogs have warned that Israel was stepping up efforts to expand settlements before US President Donald Trump leaves office. &nbsp;

The Trump administration has broken with decades of bipartisan US practice by not opposing Jewish settlement activity in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.&nbsp;

President-elect Joe Biden has said his administration will restore US opposition to the settlements which are considered illegal under international law and that many governments view as an obstacle to peace.

Von Burgsdorff said "the four years of Mr. Trump have severely compromised the possibility of reaching a two-state solution".

"Our hope is that with the US President-Elect taking up office... this very important process can be revitalised," he added.&nbsp;

The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.&nbsp;

Most of the international community believes Jewish settlement expansion in east Jerusalem threatens the peace process by cutting the city off from Bethlehem, thereby disrupting the continuity of the Palestinian territories.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Monday condemned an "escalating and intensive assault plan for the next 10 weeks in a race against time to create a new fait accompli before Donald Trump leaves the White House".

UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov called on Israel to "reverse" its plans in Givat Hamatos, saying the project would "significantly damage prospects for a future contiguous Palestinian State and for achieving a negotiated two-state solution". &nbsp;

Israel took control of east Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War, before annexing it in a move not recognised by most of the international community.

EU diplomats were taunted by right-wing Israeli protesters on Monday during a visit to a sensitive east Jerusalem area where the Jewish state plans to build a new settler neighbourhood.

EU diplomats were taunted by right-wing Israeli protesters on Monday during a visit to a sensitive east Jerusalem area where the Jewish state plans to build a new settler neighbourhood. Several European Union envoys who had travelled to Givat Hamatos in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem to protest the planned construction of new Jewish settler homes were called "anti-Semites" by shouting protesters. "EU shame on you," protesters shouted as diplomats tried to speak. EU representative in the Palestinian Territories Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff said the aim of the visit was to "demonstrate our disagreement" with the Israeli plans. Earlier this year, Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to build 2,000 homes for Jews in Givat Hamatos and 1,000 homes for Arabs in the adjacent mainly Palestinian neighbourhood of Beit Safafa. Last week, the Israel Land Authority issued tenders to build more than 1,200 mainly residential units in Givat Hamatos. Watchdogs have warned that Israel was stepping up efforts to expand settlements before US President Donald Trump leaves office. The Trump administration has broken with decades of bipartisan US practice by not opposing Jewish settlement activity in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. President-elect Joe Biden has said his administration will restore US opposition to the settlements which are considered illegal under international law and that many governments view as an obstacle to peace. Von Burgsdorff said "the four years of Mr. Trump have severely compromised the possibility of reaching a two-state solution". "Our hope is that with the US President-Elect taking up office... this very important process can be revitalised," he added. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Most of the international community believes Jewish settlement expansion in east Jerusalem threatens the peace process by cutting the city off from Bethlehem, thereby disrupting the continuity of the Palestinian territories. Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Monday condemned an "escalating and intensive assault plan for the next 10 weeks in a race against time to create a new fait accompli before Donald Trump leaves the White House". UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov called on Israel to "reverse" its plans in Givat Hamatos, saying the project would "significantly damage prospects for a future contiguous Palestinian State and for achieving a negotiated two-state solution". Israel took control of east Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War, before annexing it in a move not recognised by most of the international community.

Israel protesters taunt EU envoys in sensitive east Jerusalem area

Israel is moving forward on the construction of hundreds of new homes for Jewish residents in sensitive East Jerusalem.

Israel moves ahead with controversial illegal settler housing plan in Jerusalem

Biden criticized as Israel moves ahead with controversial project in Jerusalem

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t mince his words at this month’s opening of parliament. In his first assertion of a claim to a lost non-Turkic part of the Ottoman Empire, Mr Erdogan declared that Jerusalem is Turkish.

“In this city, which we had to leave in tears during the First World War, it is still possible to come across traces of the Ottoman resistance. So Jerusalem is our city, a city from us,” Mr. Erdogan said.

He went on to say that “the current appearance of the Old City, which is the heart of Jerusalem, was built by Suleiman the Magnificent, with its walls, bazaar, and many buildings. Our ancestors showed their respect for centuries by keeping this city in high esteem.”

Mr Erdogan was referring to the 16th century Ottoman sultan, a sponsor of monumental architectural development, who is widely viewed as having protected his Jewish subjects.

In July, Mr. Erdogan described that month’s return of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, a sixth century Orthodox-church-turned-mosque-turned-museum, to the status of a Muslim house of worship as paving the way for the “liberation” of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site.

Mr. Erdogan’s office released a month later a four-minute video clip suggesting that Turkey’s quest for leadership of the Islamic world was as much a military and nationalist endeavor as it was a religious drive. Laced with martial music, the clip meshed religious and Ottoman symbolism. &nbsp;Entitled Golden Apple, the clip ended with a panorama view of Al-Aqsa.

The president, who embeds his often raw nationalism in a religious mantle, can have no illusion that Jerusalem would return to Turkish rule.

Yet, by putting forward his claim, Mr Erdogan hopes to put his quest for leadership of the Muslim world on par with that of one Turkey’s staunchest rivals, Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is home to Islam’s two most sacred cities, Mecca and Medina.

Rather than seeking to regain lost Ottoman territory, Mr. Erdogan is staking a claim to custodianship of Jerusalem’s Haram ash-Sharif or Temple Mount and Al Aqsa mosque compound that currently rests with a Jordanian-controlled religious endowment known as the Waqf.

The president escalated his rhetoric at a moment that the Palestine Authority has reached out to Turkey as well as Qatar in the wake of the normalization of relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and a series of statements by prominent Saudi and other Gulf leaders taking President Mahmoud Abbas’ administration to task for squandering opportunities for peace with the Jewish state.

Mr. Erdogan’s claim adds to Jordan’s worries that Israel, in the wake of the formalization of its ties to Gulf states, could support Saudi ambitions to join the Hashemite kingdom, if not replace it, as the holy site’s administrator.

Israel Hayom, Israel’s most widely read newspaper that is supportive of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, quoted an unidentified Arab diplomat as saying that Saudi funds were needed to counter Turkish influence in Jerusalem.

“If the Jordanians allow the Turks to operate unhindered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, within a matter of years their special status in charge of the Waqf and Muslim holy sites would be relegated to being strictly ‘on paper,’” the diplomat was quoted as saying in June.

Raed Daana, a former director of preaching and guidance at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Directorate, said in 2018, in the wake of US President Donald J. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, that Saudi Arabia had secretly invited Palestinian Muslim dignitaries in a bid to garner support for a Saudi role in the Waqf.

Mr Daana attributed the secrecy in part to a refusal to accept the invitation by a number of Palestinian religious figures.

Jordan last year increased the number of members of the Waqf from 11 to 18 in a bid to give it a more a more Muslim rather than exclusively Jordanian flavour and to fend off attempts by regional powers to muscle their way into the body.

The new members included officials of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestine Authority as well as figures with links to Turkey and Gulf states like Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, a former grand mufti of Jerusalem and Holocaust denier who has defended Mr. Erdogan’s militancy regarding Jerusalem; and Mr. Sabri’s successor, Muhammad Hussein, who had close ties to the United Arab Emirates until he last month barred Emiratis from visiting Al Aqsa in protest against the UAE’s recognition of Israel.

Mr. Erdogan has in recent years been laying the groundwork for his claim with millions of dollars in donations to local Islamic organizations as well as Turkish religious activists and pilgrims in Jerusalem whom Israel has accused of instigating Palestinian protests.

Turkey’s Directorate General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet), that is part of Mr. Erdogan’s office, lists Al-Aqsa as a site for the umrah, the lesser Muslim pilgrimage.

Israeli sources say Turkey’s cultural center in Jerusalem as well as a Turkish renovated coffeeshop two minutes from the city’s Western Wall that is adorned with Turkish and Palestinians flags as well as portraits of Mr. Erdogan and Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II serve as a meeting point for activists and pilgrims.

“Turkey is working diligently to deepen its involvement and influence on the Temple Mount, in the Old City of Jerusalem, and in east Jerusalem neighbourhoods. It is encouraging welfare-religious (dawa) activities…aimed at drawing the Palestinian public toward the Turkish-Islamic heritage and at weakening Israel’s hold on the Old City and east Jerusalem,” said conservative Israeli journalist and analyst Nadav Shragai.

A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr, Podbean, Audecibel, Patreon and Castbox.

Dr James M Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t mince his words at this month’s opening of parliament. In his first assertion of a claim to a lost non-Turkic part of the Ottoman Empire, Mr Erdogan declared that Jerusalem is Turkish.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t mince his words at this month’s opening of parliament. In his first assertion of a claim to a lost non-Turkic part of the Ottoman Empire, Mr Erdogan declared that Jerusalem is Turkish. “In this city, which we had to leave in tears during the First World War, it is still possible to come across traces of the Ottoman resistance. So Jerusalem is our city, a city from us,” Mr. Erdogan said. He went on to say that “the current appearance of the Old City, which is the heart of Jerusalem, was built by Suleiman the Magnificent, with its walls, bazaar, and many buildings. Our ancestors showed their respect for centuries by keeping this city in high esteem.” Mr Erdogan was referring to the 16th century Ottoman sultan, a sponsor of monumental architectural development, who is widely viewed as having protected his Jewish subjects. In July, Mr. Erdogan described that month’s return of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, a sixth century Orthodox-church-turned-mosque-turned-museum, to the status of a Muslim house of worship as paving the way for the “liberation” of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. Mr. Erdogan’s office released a month later a four-minute video clip suggesting that Turkey’s quest for leadership of the Islamic world was as much a military and nationalist endeavor as it was a religious drive. Laced with martial music, the clip meshed religious and Ottoman symbolism. Entitled Golden Apple, the clip ended with a panorama view of Al-Aqsa. The president, who embeds his often raw nationalism in a religious mantle, can have no illusion that Jerusalem would return to Turkish rule. Yet, by putting forward his claim, Mr Erdogan hopes to put his quest for leadership of the Muslim world on par with that of one Turkey’s staunchest rivals, Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is home to Islam’s two most sacred cities, Mecca and Medina. Rather than seeking to regain lost Ottoman territory, Mr. Erdogan is staking a claim to custodianship of Jerusalem’s Haram ash-Sharif or Temple Mount and Al Aqsa mosque compound that currently rests with a Jordanian-controlled religious endowment known as the Waqf. The president escalated his rhetoric at a moment that the Palestine Authority has reached out to Turkey as well as Qatar in the wake of the normalization of relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and a series of statements by prominent Saudi and other Gulf leaders taking President Mahmoud Abbas’ administration to task for squandering opportunities for peace with the Jewish state. Mr. Erdogan’s claim adds to Jordan’s worries that Israel, in the wake of the formalization of its ties to Gulf states, could support Saudi ambitions to join the Hashemite kingdom, if not replace it, as the holy site’s administrator. Israel Hayom, Israel’s most widely read newspaper that is supportive of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, quoted an unidentified Arab diplomat as saying that Saudi funds were needed to counter Turkish influence in Jerusalem. “If the Jordanians allow the Turks to operate unhindered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, within a matter of years their special status in charge of the Waqf and Muslim holy sites would be relegated to being strictly ‘on paper,’” the diplomat was quoted as saying in June. Raed Daana, a former director of preaching and guidance at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Directorate, said in 2018, in the wake of US President Donald J. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, that Saudi Arabia had secretly invited Palestinian Muslim dignitaries in a bid to garner support for a Saudi role in the Waqf. Mr Daana attributed the secrecy in part to a refusal to accept the invitation by a number of Palestinian religious figures. Jordan last year increased the number of members of the Waqf from 11 to 18 in a bid to give it a more a more Muslim rather than exclusively Jordanian flavour and to fend off attempts by regional powers to muscle their way into the body. The new members included officials of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestine Authority as well as figures with links to Turkey and Gulf states like Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, a former grand mufti of Jerusalem and Holocaust denier who has defended Mr. Erdogan’s militancy regarding Jerusalem; and Mr. Sabri’s successor, Muhammad Hussein, who had close ties to the United Arab Emirates until he last month barred Emiratis from visiting Al Aqsa in protest against the UAE’s recognition of Israel. Mr. Erdogan has in recent years been laying the groundwork for his claim with millions of dollars in donations to local Islamic organizations as well as Turkish religious activists and pilgrims in Jerusalem whom Israel has accused of instigating Palestinian protests. Turkey’s Directorate General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet), that is part of Mr. Erdogan’s office, lists Al-Aqsa as a site for the umrah, the lesser Muslim pilgrimage. Israeli sources say Turkey’s cultural center in Jerusalem as well as a Turkish renovated coffeeshop two minutes from the city’s Western Wall that is adorned with Turkish and Palestinians flags as well as portraits of Mr. Erdogan and Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II serve as a meeting point for activists and pilgrims. “Turkey is working diligently to deepen its involvement and influence on the Temple Mount, in the Old City of Jerusalem, and in east Jerusalem neighbourhoods. It is encouraging welfare-religious (dawa) activities…aimed at drawing the Palestinian public toward the Turkish-Islamic heritage and at weakening Israel’s hold on the Old City and east Jerusalem,” said conservative Israeli journalist and analyst Nadav Shragai. A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr, Podbean, Audecibel, Patreon and Castbox. Dr James M Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.

The Battle for Jerusalem: Turkey’s Erdogan stakes his claim

Equipped with long sticks, and a sanitizing spray gun, a team of cleaners on Wednesday (September 16) gouged out written prayers that visitors to Judaism's Western Wall in Jerusalem traditionally cram into its crevices.

Notes to God removed from Jerusalem's Western Wall

Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem over his alleged corruption and the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Protests in Israel over COVID crisis: Unemployment spikes to over 20%

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised President Donald Trump's foreign policy record in a Republican National Convention speech on Tuesday that Democrats criticized as a breach of protocol and perhaps the law.

Speaking in a recorded video from a Jerusalem rooftop during an official trip, Pompeo, a Trump appointee widely believed to harbor presidential aspirations, said the president had exposed the "predatory aggression" of the Chinese Communist Party, while defeating Islamic State militants and lowering the threat from North Korea.

Even before he spoke, critics pounced, saying Pompeo had broken with decades of protocol in using his appointed office for partisan purposes.

The chairman of a Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee announced on Tuesday an investigation into whether Pompeo's appearance broke federal law and regulations.

"The Trump administration and Secretary Pompeo have shown a gross disregard not only of basic ethics, but also a blatant willingness to violate federal law for political gain," Joaquin Castro, head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's oversight subcommittee, said in a statement.

In a letter to Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, Castro said Pompeo's appearance was "highly unusual and likely unprecedented," and "may also be illegal."

A State Department official told a pool reporter traveling with Pompeo that the secretary was appearing in his personal capacity and no State Department personnel or resources were involved.

John Bellinger, the top State Department lawyer under former Republican Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said the agency had long barred senior political appointees from partisan activity, including attending party conventions, even if they might be permitted under the 1939 Hatch Act limiting the political activities of federal employees.

Pompeo's address also appeared to violate his own instructions restating the department's prohibition on political activities - which applies to official and private time - sent to personnel in a July 24 cable reviewed on Monday by Reuters. [nL1N2FQ206]

In his letter to Biegun, Castro wrote that it was "readily apparent" from documents in his panel's possession that Pompeo's appearance may violate the Hatch Act, federal regulations implementing that law and federal rules.

He asked that Biegun answer a series of questions by no later than Sept. 1 and arrange a briefing for lawmakers by the same date.

In his remarks to the Republican convention, Pompeo described what he called Trump's foreign policy successes, including the president's decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and holding talks with North Korean leadership.

"The primary constitutional function of the national government is ensuring that your family – and mine – are safe and enjoy the freedom to live, to work, to learn and to worship as they choose," Pompeo said. 
&nbsp;

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised President Donald Trump's foreign policy record in a Republican National Convention speech on Tuesday that Democrats criticized as a breach of protocol and perhaps the law.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised President Donald Trump's foreign policy record in a Republican National Convention speech on Tuesday that Democrats criticized as a breach of protocol and perhaps the law. Speaking in a recorded video from a Jerusalem rooftop during an official trip, Pompeo, a Trump appointee widely believed to harbor presidential aspirations, said the president had exposed the "predatory aggression" of the Chinese Communist Party, while defeating Islamic State militants and lowering the threat from North Korea. Even before he spoke, critics pounced, saying Pompeo had broken with decades of protocol in using his appointed office for partisan purposes. The chairman of a Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee announced on Tuesday an investigation into whether Pompeo's appearance broke federal law and regulations. "The Trump administration and Secretary Pompeo have shown a gross disregard not only of basic ethics, but also a blatant willingness to violate federal law for political gain," Joaquin Castro, head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's oversight subcommittee, said in a statement. In a letter to Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, Castro said Pompeo's appearance was "highly unusual and likely unprecedented," and "may also be illegal." A State Department official told a pool reporter traveling with Pompeo that the secretary was appearing in his personal capacity and no State Department personnel or resources were involved. John Bellinger, the top State Department lawyer under former Republican Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said the agency had long barred senior political appointees from partisan activity, including attending party conventions, even if they might be permitted under the 1939 Hatch Act limiting the political activities of federal employees. Pompeo's address also appeared to violate his own instructions restating the department's prohibition on political activities - which applies to official and private time - sent to personnel in a July 24 cable reviewed on Monday by Reuters. [nL1N2FQ206] In his letter to Biegun, Castro wrote that it was "readily apparent" from documents in his panel's possession that Pompeo's appearance may violate the Hatch Act, federal regulations implementing that law and federal rules. He asked that Biegun answer a series of questions by no later than Sept. 1 and arrange a briefing for lawmakers by the same date. In his remarks to the Republican convention, Pompeo described what he called Trump's foreign policy successes, including the president's decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and holding talks with North Korean leadership. "The primary constitutional function of the national government is ensuring that your family – and mine – are safe and enjoy the freedom to live, to work, to learn and to worship as they choose," Pompeo said.

Pompeo addresses RNC for Trump from Jerusalem, sparks criticism

Around 50 protesters were arrested Tuesday night following clashes with police at a thousands-strong rally in Jerusalem (Israel) demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resign

Israel Protests: Demonstrators unhappy with Netanyahu's economic policies

Due to coronavirus restrictions, Israel's gay community held limited pride rallies in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday (June 28), a far cry from the usual large-scale marches.

Under health restrictions, Israel's gay community holds limited pride rallies

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound reopened to Muslim worshippers and visitors on Sunday (May 31) after a two-and-a-half month coronavirus closure, but authorities imposed some precautions as health officials warned of an uptick in local infections.

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque reopens after more than two months

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