The Israeli Foreign Ministry has rebuked Chilean President Sebastián Piñera for visiting Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem in “violation of protocol and clear agreements,” Haaretz reported.
Piñera yesterday visited Al-Aqsa while accompanied by Palestinian officials, which, according to the Foreign Ministry, went against an earlier agreement with Chile.
Israel expresó molestia por visita del Presidente @sebastianpinera a Al Aqsa junto a funcionarios palestinos https://t.co/1OUjsHbeIL
— Mercurio Valparaíso (@mercuriovalpo) June 26, 2019
They added that “one must separate between complete religious freedom, which Israel insists on upholding, and the maintenance of our sovereignty over the Temple Mount.”
Foreign officials normally coordinate their visits to Al-Aqsa with Israeli officials.
Israel has illegally occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa Mosque is located, since the 1967 war. In 1980, the Jewish state annexed the entire city, claiming it as its “eternal and undivided” capital, a move never recognized by the international community.
President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera: Palestine has the right and the support of Chile to be a free, independent, sovereign and autonomous country, and the Palestinian people have the right to self-determination. https://t.co/lEKc2AvWz8 pic.twitter.com/0NFcVTuHV4
— The IMEU (@theIMEU) May 11, 2018
Piñera is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later today. He is set to visit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah tomorrow before departing in the afternoon to Japan, for the G-20 Summit in Osaka.
Chile historically has strong relations with Palestine and is home to the world’s largest Palestinian community outside of the Middle East, amounting to around 500,000 people.
Chile also supported UN resolution 67/19, which upgraded Palestine to non-member observer state status in the UN, and has officially recognized the State of Palestine since January 2011.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
I am from Vancouver,Canada and I wanted to say that President Pinera of Chile should have the right to visit the Al-Aqsa mosque or any other place in Palestine.The country of Palestine belongs to the Palestinian People not Israel.The Gov’t of Chile should strongly condemn Israel for arresting the Palestinian Minister for accompanying President Pinera to the Al-Aqsa mosque.This is an insult to all Palestinians and should be condemned.The Palestinian People should have the right to travel anywhere in Palestine. It is their country.Chile should be like Venezuela and Cuba and not recognize Israel.