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179 Israeli settlers perform religious rituals at Al-Aqsa Mosque
179 Israeli settlers entered the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem and performed religious rituals in the presence of rabbis. The Wadi al-Hulweh Information Center said some settlers carried siddurs and prayer shawls.
In occupied Jerusalem, 179 Israeli settlers entered the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque and performed religious rituals by praying in the eastern section of the mosque in the presence of rabbis.
The Wadi al-Hulweh Information Center said some of the settlers carried siddurs, which are known as Jewish prayer books, while others carried fabric shawls used during prayer.
Concerns over a new reality at Al-Aqsa Mosque
The center described the bringing of religious books into Al-Aqsa Mosque as a “first test” carried out to gauge the settlers’ reactions. It said the practice could pave the way for religious books to be brought fully into the mosque and aimed to establish a new reality inside it.
The Wadi al-Hulweh Information Center said religious books were also openly brought into Al-Aqsa Mosque last July during commemorations of the destruction of the so-called Temple. The center said the step coincided with preparations by some extremist Jewish groups for the upcoming holiday period.
Religious items and group prayers
Settlers have continued bringing religious books and items used in rituals into Al-Aqsa Mosque and holding group prayers. The acts were carried out under the protection and escort of Israeli police.
Since 2003, Israeli authorities have allowed settlers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque almost every day except Fridays and Saturdays. According to the Wadi al-Hulweh Information Center, the number of settlers entering the site has increased over the years, while calls from Palestinian, Arab and international circles to preserve the existing status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque have gone unheeded.
Request from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department is calling for the incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque to stop. The department, which is affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, oversees the official administration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the waqfs of East Jerusalem.
Under the peace treaty signed between Jordan and Israel in 1994, Jordan retains the right to oversee religious affairs in Jerusalem. An agreement signed in 2013 by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also reaffirmed Jordan’s custodianship over Jerusalem and its responsibility to defend the holy sites.
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