Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for making an “inflammatory speech” about Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Sunday, saying his words undermine peace efforts.

Speaking during a visit to Qatar, Abbas charged that Israel was intending to destroy Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits atop the remains of the two biblical Jewish temples. It is the most sacred site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam. The site is a very sensitive and emotional issue for Israelis and Palestinians.

“Abbas knows full well that there is no foundation to his contemptible remarks, including his baseless and irresponsible claims regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Netanyahu said. “This is a harshly inflammatory speech from someone who claims that he is bent on peace.”

“The time has come for the Palestinian leadership to stop denying the past and distorting reality,” he said.

Netanyahu stressed in his comments that all faiths have freedom of worship in Jerusalem. (AP)