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Abbas: Settlers have no right to 'defile' Al-Aqsa MosqueCalls for continued Palestinian presence at the mosque to defend it 'by any meanspossible.'By Nir Hasson and Jack Khoury | Oct. 17, 2014 | 9:46 PM

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a press conference on October 8,

2014 in the West Bank City of Ramallah. Photo by AFPRELATED ARTICLESClashes on Temple Mount, police lock Palestinian rioters inside Al-Aqsa Mosque By Nir Hasson | Oct. 13, 2014 | 8:41 AM | 2Police, Palestinians clash throughout E. Jlem over holiday By Nir Hasson | Oct. 17, 2014 | 2:43 PM | 1Palestinians slow to win support for end-of-occupation bid at UN By Jack Khoury | Oct. 17, 2014 | 2:13 PMPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Friday for the defense of the Al-

Aqsa Mosque against Israel. Abbas stated that the holy site was being desecrated bysettlers and that a continued Palestinian presence is required there to protect it.Speaking at the West Bank town of Albira, Abbas stressed that a Palestinian statewithout Jerusalem as its capital would be impossible.Palestinians "must be present at the Al-Aqsa Mosque," he said. "We must stop them(the settlers) from entering by any means possible. This is our mosque and they haveno right to enter it and defile it."The Palestinian president called for actions to replace words in regards to Jerusalem."Al Quds," said Abbas, referring to Jerusalem by its Arabic name, "has a special

place in the heart of every Palestinian, of every Arab, be they Muslim or Christian, AlQuds is the jewel in the crown and the eternal capital of the Palestinian people, andwithout which there will be no state."

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Abbas also reiterated the position held by the Palestinian leadership, in regards toseeking the acknowledgement of the UN Security Council, that the areas occupied byIsrael since 1967 be recognized as the territory of a future Palestinian state, ratherthan contested areas, as considered by IsraelConcerning domestic Palestinian affairs, Abbas insisted on holding elections in the

West Bank and Gaza within six months, and noted that the Fatah general committeewill convene at the end of the year and "breathe life" into the organization byallowing the younger generation to assume leadership roles."We have faith in a generational shift, in the movement from one generation to theother, until the final goal is reached, in the form of Palestinian statehood," he said.Meanwhile in Gaza, Hamas blamed the Palestinian Authority of harassing its activistsin the West Bank and dispersing demonstrations organized by Hamas in support of Al-Aqsa. A statement issued by Hamas said PA police forces forcibly dispersed ralliesorganized by Hamas in Nablus, Hebron and Ramallah and detained some of its men.Hamas said this was against Abbas's statements on defending Al-Aqsa and called onthe Palestinian government and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to order the securityagencies to follow the law.Clashes between police and Palestinian youths erupted Monday on the Temple Mount, the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Palestinian rioters, someof them masked, hurled stones and threw firecrackers and firebombs at the police. Apolice force broke into the compound and was able to push the rioters back inside themosque, amd to dismantle barricades set up by the protesters and close the doors,locking the rioters inside the mosque.Since 2004, the Temple Mount is open to Jewish and non-Muslim tourists for a fewhours each day.

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