Israel cheers over Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti’s remark against Hamas, invites him to visit the country

Israel is all praise for Saudi Arabian Grand Mufti after the latter called Hamas a terrorist organisation. Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara wrote on his official Twitter account, “We congratulate Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, as well as the head of Ulema for his fatwa forbidding the fight against the Jews and forbidding to kill them.” He added “I invite the mufti to visit Israel; he will be welcomed with a high level of respect.”

It must be recalled the Saudi Arabian Grand Mufti while answering a question on a television program, had told that it is inappropriate to fight against Israel and said Hamas was a “terror organization.” He was replying to a question regarding July’s anger across the Israeli-occupied West Bank when Israel shut Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is venerated by Muslims and Jews, following a deadly shootout.

After Arab-Israel war in 1967, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank. In 1980 it took over the entire city and announced to make it “undivided and eternal capital” of the Jewish state, a move never recognized by the international community. As per the international law West Bank and East Jerusalem are occupied areas and the Jewish settlement there is illegal.