JERUSALEM, May 14, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestine Liberation Organization’s Jerusalem Affairs Department condemned the dangerous inciting remarks made by extremist Israeli Knesset member Yitzhak Kroizer, who publicly called for the removal of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the buildings within its compound and the construction of the so-called “Temple” in their place.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the department said the remarks represent an unprecedented escalation in Israeli political and religious discourse toward Islamic holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.

The department stressed that the gravity of such calls is compounded by the tense situation in Jerusalem, particularly in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the Old City, amid provocative settler marches, repeated incursions into the mosque compound, the raising of Israeli flags, and the performance of Talmudic rituals inside the holy site.

It also pointed to a provocative march organized by settlers in the al-Suwana neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem under the protection of Israeli police, alongside intensified restrictions imposed on Palestinian residents of the city.

The department added that calls for the removal of Al-Aqsa Mosque constitute direct incitement against one of Islam’s holiest sites, a blatant violation of the historical and legal status quo, and a serious provocation to the feelings of millions of Muslims worldwide.

M.N