An official in Egypt’s Writers' Union has said the union discussing terminating the membership of Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa because of a visit he paid to Jerusalem Wednesday.

Salah Alrawy, member of the union’s Board of Directors said that the union has already prepared a decree to terminate Gomaa's membership, given that he broke the national consensus on boycotting Israel by all means, which includes a travel ban to Jerusalem while it’s under Israeli occupation.

Alrawy said that the union will hold an urgent meeting Monday, 23 April, to take a final decision on the matter.

On Wednesday, Gomaa ignited anger among Egyptians, including Islamic scholars, students and the Muslim Brotherhood, after he visited Jerusalem as part of the inauguration of a new chair in Islamic studies.

Gomaa said that his visit was arranged by Jordanian authorities and that he entered Jerusalem through the West Bank, not from Israel. He also repeated his refusal to normalise relations with Israel, considering his visit to Jerusalem as a “gift from God”.