Turkish official urges common struggle against Israeli persecution

ANKARA

Turkey’s presidential spokesman on Tuesday encouraged a common struggle against Israeli attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem.

“All Muslims, Christians, and Jews with common sense and conscience must fight together to stop Israel's occupation and persecution and the violations of fanatical Jews,” Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter.

Sharing a joint statement by the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem, he said the churches in the holy city jointly demanded that Israel put an end to its violence and provocative actions.

They urged the international community to intervene and end the tension in the holy city created mainly by right-wing radical groups.

Tensions have been running high in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem since last week when Israeli settlers swarmed in after an Israeli court ordered the evictions of Palestinian families.

Palestinians protesting in solidarity with residents of Sheikh Jarrah have been targeted by Israeli forces. ​​​​​​

The death toll from Israeli forces’ attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 28, with 152 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 – a move that has never been recognized by the international community.