PLO asks world to intervene in defense of Al-Aqsa

By Zeynep Tufekci

RAMALLAH, Palestine

The international community should intervene against Israeli attacks on Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said Friday.

In a statement, PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi said the Islamic world needs to do its share on the issue.

Ashrawi's remarks came after Israeli police on Friday dispersed dozens of Palestinians protesting the closure of all the gates of the mosque after an attempted knife attack earlier in the day.

A 30-year-old Israeli Arab suspected of attempting to stab a Jerusalem police officer at the Al-Majlis gate was shot dead, Israel’s Haaretz daily reported, citing the police.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount", claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It annexed the city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community.