The US Government Condemned Friday’s attack on Jerusalem, where two policemen were killed, and called for “zero tolerance” of terrorism, since it “is incompatible” with the goal of achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
“There must be zero tolerance for terrorism. It is incompatible with achieving peace and we must condemn it in the strongest terms, defeat it and eradicate it,” the White House said in a statement.
In its statement, the White House condemned “energetically” Friday’s attack on Jerusalem’s Old City in which “terrorists brutally shot two Israeli police officers.”
On Friday morning, three Israeli Arabs armed with pistol and machine guns Carl Gustav opened fire on the police stationed near the Lions Gate, after which they returned to the complex, where a firefight continued.
The three assailants were shot dead by the security forces.
Hours later, the Israeli authorities arrested the great mufti of Jerusalem, Mohamed Hussein, as he addressed prayers to the crowd in the vicinity and encouraged him to pray in the Al Aqsa mosque inside the compound, despite the closure.
The Jerusalem Mosque Esplanade keeps its doors closed for the second consecutive day, as an exceptional measure after Friday’s attack.
Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off the measure and, according to the Wafa news agency, sued the Jordanian government, a custodian of the place according to the status quo, Israel for its reopening.
According to the White House, “Israel has assured the world that it has no intention of altering the status quo of the holy place, a decision the United States applauds and welcomes.”
“We urge all leaders and people in good faith to be understanding as this process [of attack investigation] advances and reaches its conclusion,” the White House concluded.
