Sabri
said the Israeli desecration came as "a surprise" to him,
adding that Hanegbi toured the mosque's plaza for around one hour,
asserting the mosque guards strongly refused to open the mosque's
internal entrances.
"We
hold this minister culpable for provoking the sentiments of Muslims and
desecrating Al-Aqsa mosque," stressed the prominent Muslim scholar.
On
the timing of the visit with the advent of Ramadan, Sheikh Sabri said it
came to cast a pall over the Muslim celebrations of the holy month.
Asked
why Hanegbi did not make his visit public beforehand, he said the
Israeli minister feared a repetition of what had happened to Sharon.
Sabri
urged the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to live up to its
responsibilities towards Al-Aqsa mosque.
"We
tell the Muslim leaders who gathered at the OIC summit in Malaysia that
you must translate your words into deeds and not into condemnations and
resolutions," he stressed.
'One-Way
Strategy'
For
his part, Hamas activist Adnan Asfour said it seemed as if "the
Zionist government has adopted a one-way strategy with the Palestinian
cause."
"It
has already kicked off the project of Greater Israel, leaning on
military superiority," he asserted.
The
Hamas leader refused to label Hanegbi's visit as "naïve",
underlining it "reflects the Israeli intransigence, which ignited
the Intifada."
"The
visit can be portrayed as a way to escape from the current limbo of the
Zionist government, which pledged to bring security to the Israelis
within 100 days of assuming office and failed," Asfour said.
"Sharon
is pursuing his genocide against Palestinians being supported by the
U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan," he added.
Asfour
also expected that the Palestinians would augment their resistance
against the Israeli occupation during Ramadan and defend Al-Aqsa mosque
all along.
"Palestinians
will prove to the Zionist entity that they are willing to pay the
ultimate sacrifice to defend Al-Aqsa and liberate it from the
desecration of the occupation," vowed the Hamas activist.
Hanegbi's
visit was also condemned by Palestinian Authority minister Saeb Erekat,
who said it was designed to "provoke an escalation of violence and
extremism in the region".
Hanegbi,
a member of Sharon's Likud party, earlier this summer authorized the
reopening of the compound to non-Muslims who had been largely prevented
from visiting since the start of the Intifada.
