On Friday, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he is cutting off all ties with Israel due to the security measures recently installed on the Temple Mount

In an address to PA officials at their headquarters in Ramallah, Abbas said, “I, on behalf of the Palestinian leadership, announce… a freeze of all contacts with the occupation state on all levels until Israel commits to canceling all the measures against our Palestinian people in general and Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque in particular.”

Abbas specified the recently installed walk-through metal detectors installed at the Temple Mount as being the main cause, saying it was “falsely presented as a security measure to take control over Al-Aqsa mosque.”

“We will spend $25 million supporting the Palestinians of Jerusalem,” Abbas said.

Abbas called on all Palestinian employees to donate one day’s pay to support Jerusalem.

Abbas has already called on other nations to pressure Israel into removing the security measures. On Thursday he phoned President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and urged him to intervene. Abbas also enlisted the help of Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Arab countries, and a United Nations committee in the region.

Last Sunday, the Mufti of Jerusalem,  Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, called for a boycott of the Temple Mount and protests against Israeli security measures, leading to massive riots. At least three Palestinians were killed and approximately 200 injured in riots on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli police announced all Muslim men under the age of 50 would be banned from Friday prayers at the Temple Mount.

Abbas declaration came just a few hours before a Palestinian man murdered three Israelis in their home in  Halalmish in Samaria.