By: Tova Dvorin, Israel National News—
Israel defending Judaism’s holiest site is a “red line,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated to a delegation of visiting Arab MKs on Monday.
“I am very disturbed by the situation and will act in the international arena as much as I can to stop the dangerous events in the Islamic holy places,” Erdogan stated, referring to the Temple Mount. The Mount, the holiest site in Judaism and the location of the First and Second Temple, has also been alleged by Islamists to be “the third holiest site in Islam.”
Erdogan added that the Mount is “a red line, and the continued provocation of Israel could deteriorate the situation.”
“I am following the situation with great concern and will continue to follow the situation in the future,” he concluded.
On Sunday, a Joint List delegation left Israel for Jordan and Turkey to discuss Israel’s “provocations” in enforcing the law against rock-throwers and Muslim rioters.
The delegation included deputy Knesset Speaker Ahmed Tibi and fellow Joint List MKs Jamal Zahalka, Aida Touma-Sliman, Taleb Abu Arar, and Osama Sa’adi – several of whom have themselves been involved in violent Pro-Palestinian riots on the Temple Mount and elsewhere over the past year.
During the meeting, Erdogan also promised the delegation that Turkey would provide scholarships to Israeli Arabs looking to study in its universities.
Earlier Monday, Erdogan met for an hour with Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, the exiled leader of the Gaza-based terrorist group who resides in Qatar, in Ankara. The two reportedly focused mainly on the situation in Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque located on the Temple Mount, where massive violent riots have been perpetrated over the last several days by Islamist attackers.
Erdogan expressed the full solidarity of Turkey with the Palestinian Arabs and condemned the Israeli “attacks” against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, turning the Muslim violence against police and Israeli citizens on its head.
In parallel to his talk with Mashaal, Erdogan also spoke via phone with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas about the riots on the mosque.