When British Minister for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmad and his delegation, who is on an official visit to the region, attempted this morning to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli police kept them waiting at the gate for 30 minutes before being allowed to enter, according to tweets by the BBC correspondent Tom Bateman.

He said that the Islamic Waqf department in charge of the Muslim holy places in the city, informed the Israeli police yesterday of the minister’s visit, yet when the UK delegation arrived at the gate the Israeli police told them they were not aware of the visit and the minister, who is a Muslim and wanted to pray at the Mosque, could not enter.

“Israeli police at the gates were told Lord Ahmad was a UK government minister and the visit had been coordinated, but this was seemingly not accepted, the discussion including them being shown a tweeted picture of him meeting Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen yesterday,” said Bateman in his tweets.

Lord Ahmad finally entered the Muslim holy compound after 30 minutes delay and was able to perform the prayers.

“An honor and privilege to spend time at the holy Al Aqsa Mosque this morning with the Director of Jerusalem Waqf Department Sheikh Azzam al Khatib,” said Lord Ahmad in a tweet.

“I emphasized the UK’s unwavering support for Jordanian Custodianship of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites and for the Status Quo.”

Jordan is the official custodian of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The status quo refers to understandings that the entire walled holy compound is a Muslim-only worship site and attempts by extremist Jewish groups to change this fact are illegal and will not be tolerated.

Source: Palestine News & Info Agency