Report: Abbas Asked Kushner to Pressure Israel Over Temple Mount Metal Detectors

temple mount
AP/Mahmoud Illean

The Times of Israel reports: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spoke by phone late Thursday with Jared Kushner, senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, reportedly to ask that the White House pressure Israel to remove metal detectors installed at the Temple Mount following last Friday’s deadly terror attack.

According to Hebrew-language media, Abbas told Kushner that tensions over the holy site were a serious concern, and threatened to get out of control if Israel did not back down. Abbas held emergency meetings with senior members of his Fatah party on Friday to discuss the escalating tensions. The meetings with the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee were intended to decide on the Palestinian response to Israel’s decision early Friday to leave the metal detectors in place on the Temple Mount despite Palestinian protests.

Palestinian officials have denounced the increased security at the site as a change in the delicate status quo that governs the site.

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