Palestinian Authority slams Israel for arresting Jerusalem governor

RAMALLAH, Feb. 27  — The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday slammed Israel for arresting the Palestinian governor of Jerusalem.
Adnan Gheith, who was appointed as governor of Jerusalem last June by the Palestinian Authority, was arrested on Wednesday from his home in Jerusalem, hours before the arrest of 31 other Palestinians, including a member of Fatah party’s Revolutionary Council, in Ramallah city.
According to Palestinian sources, the Israeli police conducted extensive raids in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Al-Issawiya, detaining 21 Palestinians from the neighborhood.
Over the past week, more than 40 Palestinians, mostly identified as members of the Fatah party, were rounded up in extensive Israeli raids.
The recent arrest campaign follows mounting tensions inside Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound over the closure of its Golden Gate.
The closure of the Golden Gate was perceived by Palestinians as a step toward the division of the mosque compound.
The Jordan-run Islamic Waqf, which is in charge of holy places in Jerusalem, said more than 60,000 worshippers from occupied Jerusalem and the Palestinian towns in Israel were able to perform Friday prayer inside the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israel’s restrictions.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred to both Muslims and Jews, the latter of whom refer to it as the Temple Mount. For Muslims, it is considered the third holiest site.
The Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel insists that unified Jerusalem be its eternal capital. – XINHUA