Palestinian envoy: People will stay in street
The Palestinian UN ambassador warned Monday the Palestinian people will stay in the streets until metal detectors and all other obstacles are removed from the Jerusalem holy site where the Al Aqsa mosque is located.
Riyad Mansour said the Palestinians condemn in the strongest terms the closing of the mosque for the first time since 1969 and demand a return of the status quo.
Muslim religious leaders allege Israel is trying to expand its control at the site, revered by Muslims and Jews, by installing metal detectors under the guise of security, a claim Israel denies.
Mansour told reporters at UN headquarters Monday that the Palestinians have ended all cooperation with Israel, including on security issues, over its actions at the site.
He urged the UN Security Council, which met behind closed doors Monday to discuss rising tensions stemming from the crisis over the Jerusalem site, to condemn Israel's actions in the strongest terms.
