RAMALLAH, West Bank - Former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister and head of the Palestinian negotiating team Ahmed Qureia said Jews have no legitimate claim to the Temple Mount.

"Israeli occupation authorities are trying to find a so-called Jewish historical connection between Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, but all these attempts will fail," Qureia said in an interview.

"The [Temple Mount] is 100 percent Muslim," he said.

"They are competing against time to created facts on the ground in the surrounding imaginary [Jewish] Temple.

Qureia called on member nations of the Arab League "to interfere, to stop Israeli plans in Jerusalem, to stop the Israeli attempt to create Jewish character in Jerusalem and the al-Aksa mosque.

The PA negotiator said the Old City is the "first step in the war to defend Jerusalem and al-Aksa."

According to a report in israel national news, Qureia spoke with three journalists: a Palestinian affairs correspondent for a major Israeli newspaper, which decided not to print Qureia's statements; a reporter from the Palestinian Authority's al-Ayam paper; and World Net Daily Jerusalem bureau chief Aaron Klein.

Source: israel national news