Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque by a member of the Israeli governments, members of Knesset, and extremists under the protection of the Israeli police, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday. The ministry affirmed Saudi Arabia’s ‘categorical rejection of such violations and all provocative actions,’ adding that it stands by the Palestinian people and supports all efforts aimed at reaching ‘a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.’ The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Arab Parliament have all issued similar statements. Thousands of Jewish nationalists stormed Jerusalem on Thursday, carrying the Israeli flag and shouting anti-Arab slogans. While Israeli officials claim the march commemorates ‘Jerusalem Day,’ the annual event often witnesses attacks against local Palestinians by some of the marchers and racist chants inciting violence against Arabs. On Friday, the spokesman for the US State Department issued a statement saying: ‘The United States unequivocally opposes racist language of any form. We condemn the hateful chants such as ‘Death to Arabs’ during today’s marches in Jerusalem.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon