The father of one of the Palestinian cousins who massacred four rabbis and a cop at a Jerusalem temple Tuesday blamed their anger on perceived threats to the al Aqsa mosque.
“Everybody sees that [Israelis] are preventing people from praying in the mosque, including women,” because of recent clashes between both sides, said Abed Abu Jamal, the father of Odai Abed Abu Jamal, 22.
“When the youth see this, they react,” the dad told Sky News.
The mosque is located in an area known as the Temple Mount, which is considered sacred to both Jews and Muslims.
Jewish extremists recently created a firestorm among Palestinians by demanding access to an area near the mosque. While Israeli officials have said they wouldn’t permit allow it, some Palestinians don’t believe them.
Odai Jamal’s uncle, Daoud Abu Jamal, scoffed to Sky, “Would the Jews accept for me to go into their synagogue and pray? Or the Christians?
“Nobody would accept it,” he said. “Why would we allow them with our mosque? We are telling the occupation to get out of the al Aqsa mosque and let all of us, of all ages, to go and pray.”
The killer’s dad said he learned about Tuesday’s synagogue attack while watching TV — but didn’t realize his son was involved until later.
A relative shows portraits of Palestinian cousins Uday (left) and Ghassan Abu Jamal (right).AFP/Getty ImagesHe said his son and an older nephew, Ghassan Muhammad Abu Jamal, who helped committed the carnage, worked as cleaners and grocers in the neighborhood where the attack occurred.
Both Palestinian men were eventually killed in a shootout with cops.
“I hope God has mercy on my son’s soul, that’s all I can say,” said Abed, whose home is now slated for demolition by Israeli forces in retaliation for the bloodshed.
After the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu denied the rumors that Jews would be allowed to pray at the mosque.
Terrorists “say that the Jews are contaminating the Temple Mount, that we intend to destroy the holy sites and change the prayer routines there. These lies have already exacted a very heavy toll,” Netanhayu said.
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