Arab Member of Parliament Tibi raises a Palestinian Authority flag on the Temple Mount, advocating against any Israeli presence at Judaism’s holiest site.  

Arab Member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi raised the Palestinian Authority flag after he ascended the Temple Mount on Saturday together with Muslim leaders.

“Al-Quds [Jerusalem] is the capital of Arab Palestine and al-Aqsa mosque is a place of worship for Muslims,” declared Tibi during a procession celebrating the birth of the Muslim prophet Mohammed.

“The parade here is a message of freedom and peace, and [Arabs] will be released from ‘occupation’ to lead a free and normal life. The procession ended at the al-Aqsa Mosque, which is the crown jewel of Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine,” the Member of Knesset (Israel’s parliament) declared.

Tibi also criticized the US administration for rejecting the UN Security Council resolution calling for a Palestinian state, saying it takes “a double standard that continues the hostile policy to the rights of the Palestinian people.”

Infamous Anti-Israel Activist

Tibi, a former adviser to arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat, founder of the PLO terror organization, is known for his inflammatory and anti-Israel rhetoric and actions.

In November he urged European parliaments to impose sanctions on Israel in the wake of the tensions on the Temple Mount. “There are pyromaniacs in the government and in the Knesset” who are allegedly instigating violence, Tibi charged. Tibi stated that Muslims were the “true owners” of the Temple Mount.

Transportation Minister Israel Katz fired back, stating: “[Tibi] is cocky, a traitor and a liar. The Temple Mount has been a Jewish historical site for nearly 3,000 years and is under Israeli sovereignty.”

By: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel