Netanyahu Emphasizes Commitment to New Measures at Al-Aqsa Mosque to Resolve Crisis

The Prime Minister of Israel stated that his government is committed to the obligations made to the King of Jordan and the U.S. Secretary of State regarding new measures at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and will demonstrate in "action" that only Muslims have the right to pray at this mosque. Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday, October 25, at his cabinet meeting that his government welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan's proposal to install 24-hour surveillance cameras throughout the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as this proposal "proves" that Israel has made no changes to the previous regulations and status at Al-Aqsa. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, the installation of these cameras is "in line with Israel's interests". Netanyahu added: "I heard the positive reaction of Nasser Judeh, the Jordanian Foreign Minister, following the statement made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday, and the remarks of this Jordanian official are encouraging." John Kerry stated on Saturday in Amman that the Israeli Prime Minister accepted the King of Jordan's "excellent proposal" regarding the installation of surveillance cameras at the Noble Sanctuary or Temple Mount. Kerry met separately on Saturday with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, in Amman. The U.S. and Israel have expressed hope that the installation of cameras at Al-Aqsa will help reduce the flames of the recent security crisis. Palestinians justify the recent attacks on Israelis over the past month by citing concerns about changes to the previous status at Al-Aqsa. Last month, just hours before the onset of the Hebrew New Year, several Jews, including a right-wing Israeli minister, briefly passed through the Al-Aqsa compound. With the escalation of the recent crisis, Netanyahu ordered that none of the ministers and members of the Knesset have the right to go to Al-Aqsa, as this could lead to provocations. The Israeli Prime Minister stated on Sunday, October 25, that, as in all previous years, only Muslims can pray at Al-Aqsa, while Jews and any non-Muslims can only visit the site. Israel took control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war, but for the past 48 years, Jordan has held the senior custodianship of Al-Aqsa, and the Palestinian Waqf organization is the executive manager of Al-Aqsa. It is unclear what effect Israel's agreement to Jordan's proposal for installing surveillance cameras at Al-Aqsa will have on reducing the recent crisis. While attacks in Jerusalem have somewhat subsided, the crisis in the West Bank continues, with reports on Sunday of a teenage girl being targeted with a knife in Hebron and several other Palestinians being arrested in Israel before they could carry out their knife attacks. On Saturday, October 24, a 16-year-old boy with a knife was shot dead while running towards Israeli guards in a crowded passageway before he could carry out his intention. In the recent month-long security crisis, ten Israelis and over 50 Palestinians have been killed.