The comments come amid spiraling violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. set off after clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits on the flashpoint Temple Mount site in Jerusalem’s Old City. His call to Israel’s arch-foe Iran likely present a challenge to Jerusalem’s newly restored ties with Ankara
Since the clashes the Hamas terror group, which has close ties with Turkey, has fired dozens of rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip and bases in neighboring Lebanon, sparking retaliatory air strikes by Israel.
On Tuesday, police said they had entered Al-Aqsa after masked youths barricaded themselves inside the mosque atop the Temple Mount with fireworks, clubs and rocks and refused to come out peacefully. Officers apparently believed the group intended to assault Jews visiting the mount on Passover Eve.
Video of police apparently beating Palestinians in the mosque went viral and sparked outrage across the Muslim world. Police said in response that they had come under direct fire. READ MORE
