The

Sheikh of Azhar’s withdrawal of his call to Muslims to visit the Aqṣá mosque, as a way of

supporting

Palestinians, was met with strong angry reactions. He declared that the deputy ambassador of Palestine

made this call, not him. He said that he and Pope Shenouda agree to visit Jerusalem when Palestinians

invite them.

The Palestinian scholar’s league urged the Grand Imām not to support Muslims’ visit to

Jerusalem because this

would negatively affect the Palestinian case.