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Arab Member of Israeli Parliament Defies PM in Temple Mount Visit

An Arab member of Israel’s parliament defied Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ban on lawmakers visiting Jerusalem’s Temple Mount – Haram Al-Sharif to Muslims — an effort to defuse the tense situation that has spawned street violence for the past month. Member of Knesset (MK) Basel Ghattas left no doubt that his gesture was intended to embarrass the prime minister when he posted a video clip shot on the Temple Mount in which he said, “I am here in order to tell Netanyahu that he has no sovereignty over Jerusalem or Al-Aqsa…You and your people don’t control this place, and you will not keep our people from fulfilling their rights to pray and visit at Al-Aqsa. This holy place will remain an Islamic holy site forever.” In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said his order was intended to insure that members of parliament “act responsibly” and do not escalate the situation on the Temple Mount. He also charged that Ghattas acted “solely for the purpose of provocation, only to inflame the situation.” Netanyahu reportedly told a closed-door session of the parliament’s foreign affairs and defense committee on Wednesday that he wants to create a security court to deal expeditiously with issues such as administrative detention of terror suspects; demolition of terrorists’ homes; and revocation of citizenship from convicted terrorists.