Khaled Osaily. خالد العسيلي رئيس بلدية الخيل السابق خالد العسيلي
Hebron’s Municipal Council condemned acts committed under Israeli army protection by about 140 Israeli settlers who took over Al Ishakiyya area in the Holy Ibrahimi Mosque where they performed religious ceremonies. It described these acts as a crying violation of the Mosque’s sanctity and Islamic character and as yet another provocation to Moslem feelings and infringement of Palestinian rights. The Council denounced this dangerous escalation of settler aggressions which does not bode well for Moslems as this is the first time settlers enter the Ishakiyya area since the massacre committed in the Mosque in 1994. The Council considered this aggression both as a serious act and as a crying violation of Moslem rights in the Mosque.
Khaled Osaily, Hebron Mayor, called upon all organizations working in the field of law to intervene without delay to protect Moslem holy places from profanation and from dangerous settler policies aimed at controlling the Mosque and preventing Moslems from praying in it. The Israeli government must understand that this is a purely Moslem site and that no one has the right to prevent the freedom of worship or to violate the Mosque’s sanctity whether through the use of force or by a de-facto policy, he added. The Israeli government must put an end to attacks by extremist settlers committed under the protection of soldiers. Freedom and peace loving nations should move rapidly to protect Palestinians and their holy sites and should take tangible measures to put an end to these unacceptable acts which go against all international charters, laws and religions. “We at Hebron Municipality have informed the Palestinian leadership and all relevant bodies of what occupation authorities and settlers are doing in order for them to take the necessary steps to protect the Mosque against any attempt to judaize it”, he added. Osaily also called Palestinians to protect the Mosque by praying in it and by constantly visiting it.
