PA Mufti and Islamic council warn: Israel's "continued offensive against the Al-Aqsa Mosque" can spark "religious war"

Headline: “The [Palestinian] Supreme Fatwa Council: Judaization threatens the existence of the Al-Aqsa Mosque”
     “The [Palestinian] Supreme Fatwa Council condemned the escalation of Israeli calls to invade the Al-Aqsa Mosque and hold Talmudic ceremonies (i.e., Jewish prayers) in its pure courtyards. This statement was made during a meeting of the council, led by Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and Head of the Supreme Fatwa Council Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, in response to the calls of the extremist, so-called ‘Association of the alleged Temple organizations’ to its supporters to carry out group invasions this Sunday [July 26, 2015], the anniversary of the so-called ‘destruction of the Temple’ (i.e., Tisha B’Av ). The council regarded this call as a dangerous escalation, and an official declaration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s inauguration as a Jewish synagogue, as well as a pilgrimage site for Jews to hold their Talmudic ceremonies (i.e., Jewish prayers) at the expense of its Islamic character, and clarified that the continued offensive against the Al-Aqsa Mosque warns of a religious war.
In addition, it stressed that the Israeli plan to Judaize Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa [Mosque] or to lay a hand on them is a delusion , as the only ones entitled to the mosque, its courtyards, corridors, and every part of it, are the Muslims. Jerusalem will retain its Islamic face and Arab identity, and the occupation will not rob it of its identity, no matter how far it goes with its crimes and falsification of facts. The council urged the citizens and Muslims in the world who can reach the Al-Aqsa [Mosque], to increase their presence in it, in order to assist it to stand firm against the plots against it, and stressed that our people will hold onto their mosque until Allah inherits the land and everything on it, whatever the required sacrifices may be.”

Notes: The Palestinian Supreme Fatwa Council is an official PA body, chaired by the PA Mufti (currently Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, 2015). On their Arabic website it says that the members of the council are appointed by presidential decree. The Mufti recommends candidates for the council and the President (currently Mahmoud Abbas, 2015) appoints them.

The PA considers any presence of Jews on the Temple Mount an "invasion." However, all visitors are subject to rigorous checks by Israeli security personnel before being granted access to the Temple Mount.

Tisha B’Av is a Jewish day of mourning, commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem (586 BCE and 70 CE) and the forced exile of all Jews from the land of Israel.