An Egyptian-born American imam in his Friday sermon called on Allah to annihilate the Jews, after Israel temporarily closed the Temple Mount and installed metal detectors at the entrance to the holy site following a terror attack there.

In his weekly sermon at the Islamic Center of Davis, in northern California, Sheikh Ammar Shahin said that the Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs solely to Muslims.

In an English-language sermon uploaded to the Davis Masjid YouTube channel and transcribed by watchdog group MEMRI, Shahin prayed for Allah to destroy the Jews and liberate the mosque, which is on the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram Al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary).

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

“Oh Allah, support the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rest of the Muslim lands,” he said. “Oh Allah, liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews. Oh Allah, destroy those who closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Oh Allah, show us the black day that You inflict upon them, and the wonders of Your ability. Oh Allah, count them one by one and annihilate them down to the very last one. Do not spare any of them.”

https://youtu.be/VzT9F7XdS8c

He called for action, saying, “Allah does not change the situation of people until they change their own situation. The Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews.'”

He also called on followers to take action to “liberate” the mosque through “words and deeds.”

“Oh Allah, liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Oh Allah, make this happen by our hands,” he said. “Let us play a part in this. Oh Allah, let us support them in words and in deeds.”

Shahin is listed as an instructor at the Zidni Islamic Institute, which writes about him that, “He has been an Imam in various mosques across the United States.”

Last Sunday, Israel placed metal detectors at gates to the Temple Mount in response to a shooting attack by three Arab Israelis who killed two Israeli policemen just outside the compound on July 14 using weapons they had smuggled into the site. Israel introduced additional security equipment at entrances to the holy site overnight Saturday-Sunday.

In the wake of the attack, Israel closed the site for 48 hours, as it searched for more weapons, and then installed metal detector gates at entrances to the compound. They have since been taken down.

Three Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces on Friday during riots over the Temple Mount metal detectors, and another two were killed Saturday, including one who died when a petrol bomb he was planning to throw at Israeli security forces exploded prematurely.

On Friday night, a Palestinian terrorist stabbed to death three Israelis at their Shabbat dinner table in the West Bank settlement of Halamish.

Muslim leaders say the metal detectors marked a change to the status quo at the site. Israel says the July 14 attack showed an imperative for reinforced security measures.