Sheikh Saad E-Din El-Alami, the Mufti (religious leader) of East Jerusalem, appealed to foreign governments last week to intervene to protect Arab lives and property in the city.
El-Alami addressed a press conference at the El Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount, attended by six Consul Generals, including the U.S. Consul General in East Jerusalem, Morris Draper.
Referring to the 10 days of anti-Arab violence and harassment by Jews following the fatal stabbing of yeshiva student Eliahu Amdi in the Old City’s Moslem quarter on November 15, the Sheikh said he wanted to inform the world about “Arab suffering under the occupation.”
He said Arab citizens were filled with “fear and concern” because of attacks on their lives and property by “extreme Zionist groups.” He called on the Israeli authorities to fulfill their responsibility to put an end to the assaults. He asked foreign governments to take all necessary measures to assure the safety of the Arab population. The Mufti said he was not calling for internationalization of the city but only for protection “from somebody, from anybody.”
Draper told reporters after the press conference that he and the other Consul Generals would report on the meeting to their respective governments.
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