JERUSALEM: Because the sermon concerning the Muslim holy month of Ramadan sounded over the audio system from Al-Aqsa Mosque, 13-year-old Yousef al-Sideeq sat on a bench outdoors the compound’s gates.
“Most Fridays, they stop me from getting in, for no motive,” the younger Jerusalem resident stated, referring to the Israeli police.
Each Friday, Yousef visits Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis to hope at Al-Aqsa, the third-holiest web site for Muslims and a part of the compound sacred to Jewish individuals, who name it the Temple Mount.However for the reason that Hamas-led Oct. 7 assaults and Israel‘s ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, closely armed Israeli police forces who guard most of the Previous Metropolis’s gates have stopped him from getting into the compound, he stated.
He has managed to get in solely twice.
Muslim entry to the mosque has lengthy been some extent of rivalry as Israel has exerted tighter management in recent times over the compound, certainly one of many restrictions Palestinians dwelling underneath many years of Israeli occupation have needed to endure.
As Ramadan begins, many additionally concern what, if any, further constraints Israel could impose on the spiritual web site, which may draw 200,000 individuals in in the future from not simply Jerusalem however the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and Israel as a complete.
Israeli police stated individuals had been “getting into after enhanced safety checks which can be performed as a result of present actuality, alongside efforts to forestall any disturbances.” However they didn’t reply particular questions on whether or not there was a coverage stopping sure worshippers, particularly younger males, from getting into the mosque Friday.
They stated they had been “sustaining a steadiness between the liberty of worship and the crucial of making certain safety.”
Late Sunday, Palestinian and Israeli information media reported that law enforcement officials prevented many Palestinians from getting into Al-Aqsa to carry out prayers for the beginning of Ramadan. Each media cited a video that confirmed officers with batons chasing and beating some Palestinians.
Israel has stated there was no change to the established order, which permits solely Muslims to worship on the compound. The location is revered by Jews as the situation of two historical temples, and by Muslims because the Noble Sanctuary, the compound containing Al-Aqsa Mosque and different vital Islamic prayer areas. The compound contains the Dome of the Rock, a gold-domed prayer corridor.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, together with the Previous Metropolis and the Aqsa compound, from Jordan in 1967 and later annexed it. A lot of the world considers it occupied territory and doesn’t acknowledge Israeli sovereignty over east Jerusalem.
Many Palestinians say their entry to Al-Aqsa compound has develop into more and more restricted in favor of Jews, who take into account the Temple Mount essentially the most sacred place in Judaism.
Incidents on the compound have at occasions been the spark for broader conflicts. The second intifada, or Palestinian rebellion, was set off in 2000 when Ariel Sharon, who later grew to become Israel’s prime minister, visited Al-Aqsa surrounded by a whole bunch of law enforcement officials. Confrontations on the compound in Could 2021 contributed to the outbreak of an 11-day struggle between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas, the Palestinian armed group that has been accountable for Gaza for years, referred to as its Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel the Al-Aqsa Flood, saying it was partly a response to “Judaization plans” on the mosque.
The assault killed about 1,200 individuals, and about 200 individuals had been taken hostage, in keeping with Israeli authorities. Israel’s assault on Gaza in its struggle in opposition to Hamas has killed greater than 30,000 Palestinians, in keeping with Gaza well being officers.
Lately, Jewish worshippers have prayed contained in the Aqsa compound. Probably the most excessive search to construct a 3rd Jewish temple on the positioning of the Dome of the Rock.
A few of the most provocative episodes have been raids into the Aqsa compound by baton-wielding police forces firing tear fuel and sponge-tipped bullets who’ve clashed with Palestinians throwing stones and setting off fireworks.
“Al-Aqsa Flood got here as a response to the settlers’ violations in opposition to Al-Aqsa,” stated Walid Kilani, a Hamas spokesperson in Lebanon, referring to Jewish worshippers.
Israeli law enforcement officials “stormed the mosque and insulted the Muslim prayers there,” he added. “We needed to retaliate, as Al-Aqsa is our holy web site and is talked about within the Quran.”
Within the preliminary weeks of the struggle, solely Muslims ages 60 and older had been allowed in, stated Mohammad al-Ashhab, a spokesperson for the Waqf — an Islamic belief that administers the mosque and that’s financed and overseen by Jordan.
Attendance at Friday Prayer, a Muslim holy day, dropped to simply 1,000, from 50,000, he stated.
Though the state of affairs has improved since then, he stated, many Muslims are nonetheless prevented from attending.
Many Palestinians concern for the way forward for Al-Aqsa, particularly whereas Israel’s most right-wing authorities ever is in energy.
Final week, the federal government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated it had determined in opposition to placing new restrictions on Al-Aqsa throughout Ramadan and would enable the same variety of worshippers as in earlier years.
Along with long-standing Israeli restrictions on Muslims coming from the occupied West Financial institution, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right nationwide safety minister, had referred to as on the federal government to impose limits this 12 months on Palestinian residents of Israel.
Nonetheless, the ambiguous language of the Israeli authorities’s resolution has some involved. Human rights teams concern that freedom of worship may very well be curtailed underneath the guise of safety and security.
“Netanyahu’s assertion doesn’t truly assure full freedom of entry for Muslims to Al-Aqsa, however slightly situations it on safety and security wants,” Ir Amim, an Israeli rights group that focuses on Jerusalem, stated in an announcement after the choice. “This in flip could result in a call to in the end apply collective entry restrictions throughout Ramadan.”
“Our freedom of worship has gone backwards,” al-Ashhab stated.
“Most Fridays, they stop me from getting in, for no motive,” the younger Jerusalem resident stated, referring to the Israeli police.
Each Friday, Yousef visits Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis to hope at Al-Aqsa, the third-holiest web site for Muslims and a part of the compound sacred to Jewish individuals, who name it the Temple Mount.However for the reason that Hamas-led Oct. 7 assaults and Israel‘s ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, closely armed Israeli police forces who guard most of the Previous Metropolis’s gates have stopped him from getting into the compound, he stated.
He has managed to get in solely twice.
Muslim entry to the mosque has lengthy been some extent of rivalry as Israel has exerted tighter management in recent times over the compound, certainly one of many restrictions Palestinians dwelling underneath many years of Israeli occupation have needed to endure.
As Ramadan begins, many additionally concern what, if any, further constraints Israel could impose on the spiritual web site, which may draw 200,000 individuals in in the future from not simply Jerusalem however the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and Israel as a complete.
Israeli police stated individuals had been “getting into after enhanced safety checks which can be performed as a result of present actuality, alongside efforts to forestall any disturbances.” However they didn’t reply particular questions on whether or not there was a coverage stopping sure worshippers, particularly younger males, from getting into the mosque Friday.
They stated they had been “sustaining a steadiness between the liberty of worship and the crucial of making certain safety.”
Late Sunday, Palestinian and Israeli information media reported that law enforcement officials prevented many Palestinians from getting into Al-Aqsa to carry out prayers for the beginning of Ramadan. Each media cited a video that confirmed officers with batons chasing and beating some Palestinians.
Israel has stated there was no change to the established order, which permits solely Muslims to worship on the compound. The location is revered by Jews as the situation of two historical temples, and by Muslims because the Noble Sanctuary, the compound containing Al-Aqsa Mosque and different vital Islamic prayer areas. The compound contains the Dome of the Rock, a gold-domed prayer corridor.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, together with the Previous Metropolis and the Aqsa compound, from Jordan in 1967 and later annexed it. A lot of the world considers it occupied territory and doesn’t acknowledge Israeli sovereignty over east Jerusalem.
Many Palestinians say their entry to Al-Aqsa compound has develop into more and more restricted in favor of Jews, who take into account the Temple Mount essentially the most sacred place in Judaism.
Incidents on the compound have at occasions been the spark for broader conflicts. The second intifada, or Palestinian rebellion, was set off in 2000 when Ariel Sharon, who later grew to become Israel’s prime minister, visited Al-Aqsa surrounded by a whole bunch of law enforcement officials. Confrontations on the compound in Could 2021 contributed to the outbreak of an 11-day struggle between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas, the Palestinian armed group that has been accountable for Gaza for years, referred to as its Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel the Al-Aqsa Flood, saying it was partly a response to “Judaization plans” on the mosque.
The assault killed about 1,200 individuals, and about 200 individuals had been taken hostage, in keeping with Israeli authorities. Israel’s assault on Gaza in its struggle in opposition to Hamas has killed greater than 30,000 Palestinians, in keeping with Gaza well being officers.
Lately, Jewish worshippers have prayed contained in the Aqsa compound. Probably the most excessive search to construct a 3rd Jewish temple on the positioning of the Dome of the Rock.
A few of the most provocative episodes have been raids into the Aqsa compound by baton-wielding police forces firing tear fuel and sponge-tipped bullets who’ve clashed with Palestinians throwing stones and setting off fireworks.
“Al-Aqsa Flood got here as a response to the settlers’ violations in opposition to Al-Aqsa,” stated Walid Kilani, a Hamas spokesperson in Lebanon, referring to Jewish worshippers.
Israeli law enforcement officials “stormed the mosque and insulted the Muslim prayers there,” he added. “We needed to retaliate, as Al-Aqsa is our holy web site and is talked about within the Quran.”
Within the preliminary weeks of the struggle, solely Muslims ages 60 and older had been allowed in, stated Mohammad al-Ashhab, a spokesperson for the Waqf — an Islamic belief that administers the mosque and that’s financed and overseen by Jordan.
Attendance at Friday Prayer, a Muslim holy day, dropped to simply 1,000, from 50,000, he stated.
Though the state of affairs has improved since then, he stated, many Muslims are nonetheless prevented from attending.
Many Palestinians concern for the way forward for Al-Aqsa, particularly whereas Israel’s most right-wing authorities ever is in energy.
Final week, the federal government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated it had determined in opposition to placing new restrictions on Al-Aqsa throughout Ramadan and would enable the same variety of worshippers as in earlier years.
Along with long-standing Israeli restrictions on Muslims coming from the occupied West Financial institution, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right nationwide safety minister, had referred to as on the federal government to impose limits this 12 months on Palestinian residents of Israel.
Nonetheless, the ambiguous language of the Israeli authorities’s resolution has some involved. Human rights teams concern that freedom of worship may very well be curtailed underneath the guise of safety and security.
“Netanyahu’s assertion doesn’t truly assure full freedom of entry for Muslims to Al-Aqsa, however slightly situations it on safety and security wants,” Ir Amim, an Israeli rights group that focuses on Jerusalem, stated in an announcement after the choice. “This in flip could result in a call to in the end apply collective entry restrictions throughout Ramadan.”
“Our freedom of worship has gone backwards,” al-Ashhab stated.
