Palestine urges India to condemn Israeli security measures at Al Aqsa

NEW DELHI: India should condemn Israeli actions at the Al Aqsa Mosque that violate Palestinian rights and seek to illegally change the holy site's status in occupied Arab East Jerusalem, Palestine's ambassador to India said.
Tensions have flared in East Jerusalem and other Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories following the Jewish state's installation of metal detectors and new security measures at Al Aqsa two weeks ago.
Since the Israeli security measures to increase control over Islam's third holiest site, there have been deadly clashes between Israeli forces and Arab protesters.
"We expect India to condemn Israeli violations (of Palestinian rights) in East Jerusalem and other places in occupied Palestine," Ambassador Adnan Abu Alhaijaa told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday.
He said India is an important country that has close relations with Israel and has been a supporter of Palestinian statehood "could coordinate with countries to force Israel to follow international law."
"We are expecting the government of India to play a positive role," the ambassador said.
India maintains that it supports the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution to resolve the decades-old conflict in West Asia.
The Palestinian ambassador told Bernama he is intensifying contacts with Indian political parties, members of parliament, non-government organisations and activists to highlight the latest Israeli violence.
Israel's campaign to strengthen the Jewish stranglehold of East Jerusalem, under Israeli occupation since 1967, received a setback last year when the Unesco declared Al Aqsa to be a uniquely Muslim site. — Bernama