Oman’s Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi conducted a rare visit by a senior Arab dignitary to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday, upon an invitation from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Bin Alawi arrived to Al-Aqsa from Ramallah and was welcomed by Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, director of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, director of Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, and the deputy governor of Jerusalem, Abdullah Siam. “This is a historic visit in support of the people of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Khatib said. Bin Alawi’s visit comes ahead heated conflict over Jerusalem, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to consider the city as the capital of Israel and to move the US embassy to it. He is the first Arab official to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque after Trump’s decision, and his state does neither recognize Israel nor has diplomatic relations with it. Such visits usually require prior coordination with Israel, and information suggests that the Kingdom of Jordan, as the custodian of Jerusalem’s holy sites, and the Palestinian Authority made the necessary arrangements. Bin Alwai met on Thursday with President Mahmoud Abbas and said the establishment of a Palestinian State was necessary to achieve stability and development in the region. “We have to encourage Arabs everywhere to come to Palestine because, as I said, hearing is not the same as seeing. What is needed now is for them to see the Palestinians,” the Omani foreign minister stated. “It is not possible to achieve what the world wants - stability and development and building a culture of tolerance - except by the establishment of the Palestinian State,” he added. Bin Alawi also called on Arab countries to respond to Abbas’ invitation to visit Palestine and occupied Jerusalem. “This is an affirmation that the Palestinian people are not alone, and that all the Arab peoples are behind them,” he affirmed.