Arab members of Israeli parl. to visit Aqsa mosque

Lawmakers from the Joint Arab List in the Israeli parliament have planned to visit the al-Aqsa mosque on Tuesday in protest to Zionists and Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel's rampage of the holy site.

The Arab lawmakers said they were protesting police brutality at the site against Palestinians two days earlier.

"The visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque is the result of force used by the police at the entrance to the mosque, firing tear gas and making arrests at the site," Joint List chairman Aymen Odeh stated Monday.

"We think that the visit of Minister Uri Ariel is a provocative visit aimed at changing the status quo."

"The very fact that he visits again and again, even though we know that the visits are explosive, shows that any visit is just a provocation," he added.

"With the arrival of list members, we express our position that this was a violation of the status quo, reinforcing the occupation and denial of Arab sovereignty anchored in place."