An AI-generated video envisioning the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash on Har HaBayis has prompted outrage from Qatar, which accused Israel of planning to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque, despite the video being entirely conceptual and produced by a fringe activist group. The video, released by a group calling itself the “Temple Mount Activists,” depicts the Dome of the Rock engulfed in flames, followed by the sudden appearance of the Third Beis HaMikdash. After the rebuilt Bais Mikdash appears, the words “Next year in Yerushalayim, Moshiach now” are displayed, while “Shema Yisrael” is heard in the background. Though the video is clearly symbolic and not associated with any official Israeli body, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a harsh statement condemning what it called “plans by groups affiliated with Israeli occupation organizations to destroy the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and replace it with the so-called Temple.” Calling the video a “dangerous provocation,” the Qatari statement warned of an escalation in regional violence, especially as the war in Gaza continues. It also accused Israel of attempting to alter the “historical and legal status” of Har HaBayis and called on the international community to “hold the occupying power accountable.” Qatar, which has long aligned itself with the Palestinians, used the opportunity to reiterate its support for a two-state solution and its ongoing rejection of Israel’s control over Yerushalayim. The Gulf nation has been widely criticized for its support of terrorist organizations, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as for operating the Al Jazeera network, which has faced bans from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Notably, just last week Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Sa’oud bin Abd Al-Rahman Al Thani, posted — and then quickly deleted — a tweet saying, “We Are all Hamas,” drawing sharp criticism from around the world. He also deleted an inflammatory 2014 tweet calling on Muslims in Yerushalayim to “rise up” during Operation Protective Edge. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)