Israel seeks to 'provoke' Palestinians by limiting Al-Aqsa entry during Ramadan
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to restrict Muslims from sacred
mosque is aimed at prolonging conflict and changing status quo,
Palestinians say
A view of the
al-Aqsa mosque compound, including the Dome of the Rock, in occupied
East Jerusalem, 19 February 2024 (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)
Published date: 19 February 2024
Israel's plans to restrict Palestinian Muslim
worshippers access to al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan
is aimed at provoking the global Muslim community and prolonging
Israel's military operations in Gaza, Palestinian political and
religious figures have told Middle East Eye.
A proposal put forward by Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right
national security minister, to limit the entry of Palestinian citizens
of Israel into the mosque was accepted by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu during a meeting with senior officials on Sunday, according to
a Haaretz report.
The limitations will be based on criteria such as age and gender, the details of which are to be decided in the coming days.
Ben Gvir reportedly recommended
that only Palestinian citizens of Israel above the age of 70 should be
allowed into the mosque during Ramadan, while Israeli police recommended
entry for those aged over 45.
The Shin Bet security agency opposed
the decision and instead favoured unrestricted access for Palestinian
citizens of Israel, a source at the meeting told Haaretz.
Ben Gvir also proposed a complete ban on Palestinians from the
occupied West Bank worshipping at al-Aqsa during the month. No decision
was made on those from the West Bank.
The far-right minister additionally proposed allowing Israeli police
to raid al-Aqsa if Palestinian flags are waved or if worshippers
"support terrorism", but the idea was rejected at Sunday's meeting.
Sami Abu Shehadeh, a former member of Israel's parliament, told
Middle East Eye: "The first crime in my opinion is the linkage given to
the month of Ramadan, that is a month of worshipping and fasting, with
violence."
Abu Shehadeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, is the leader of the
Balad party and was elected to parliament as part of the Joint Arab List
bloc between 2019 and 2022.
"We have a historical experience of more than 1,400 years that did
not involve any violence during Ramadan, but what changed?" he asked.
"What changed is the existence of this fascist right-wing government
and its policies. Their attacks on worshippers and the people during
this blessed month is what creates a nervous atmosphere."
Ramadan is due to begin on 10 March and will last either 29 or 30 days.
"Over the last few years, restrictions definitely happened," Sheikh
Kamal al-Khatib, a prominent Palestinian religious figure in Israel,
told MEE, citing the cutting off of loudspeakers and the closing of
communal areas such as Damascus Gate.
"But for the situation to reach the announcement of a decision
[limiting entry to al-Aqsa] a month prior to Ramadan, that of course
represents a blatant religious war declared and conducted by Netanyahu’s
government."
'It is a war on two billion Muslims, through targeting the third holiest mosque'
- Kamal al-Khatib, religious leader
During the holy month last year, Israeli forces used stun grenades
and fired tear gas on worshippers at the mosque, before arresting
hundreds of people.
And in May 2021, hundreds of Palestinians were injured after Israeli
forces stormed the compound and attacked worshippers during Ramadan with
tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades.
The raids, as well as Israeli incursions in the occupied East
Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, sparked a major Israeli
assault on the besieged Gaza Strip. At least 256 Palestinians were
killed in Gaza, including 66 children.
Khatib said that Israeli security services have long warned that
restrictions on access to al-Aqsa would be dangerous for Israel's
security and its relationship with Arab countries in the region.
Last year's violent Israeli crackdown at the mosque was strongly condemned by Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
'Two birds with one stone'
Abu Shehadeh said Netanyahu and Ben Gvir had an "interest in igniting the atmosphere".
"They work, consciously, on provoking the people, the worshippers and
the Muslims in Jerusalem, inside of Israel, in the West Bank and the
world," he added.
"Because the continuation of the war and the continuation of this
state of violence serves Netanyahu’s interest to stay in power."
Khatib held a similar view, stating that restrictions would "hit two birds with one stone".
"As long as there is conflict and things are escalating, no elections
will be held, therefore there will be no trial for Netanyahu, as so
many Israelis are demanding these days," he said, referring to a string
of corruption allegations against the prime minister.
"The second bird is, if the government manages to execute this
decision, there is no doubt that it will be an advanced step towards
imposing the temporal and spatial partition in Al Aqsa mosque," Khatib
added.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is an Islamic site where unsolicited visits, prayers
and rituals by non-Muslims are forbidden, according to decades-long
international agreements.
But Israeli settler groups, in coordination with authorities, have
long violated the delicate arrangement and facilitate raids of the site,
and performed prayers and religious rituals.
Palestinians have described the development as "Judaisation" of the
mosque. They fear that restrictions on their entry to the site is laying
the groundwork for the mosque to be divided between Muslims and Jews,
similar to how the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron was divided in the 1990s.
"The decision to prevent Muslims from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque is
invalid and conflicts with freedom of worship," Ekrima Sabri, the former
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, said on Monday.
Khatib believes that Israeli actions related to al-Aqsa did not just target millions of Palestinians and Arabs.
"It is a war on two billion Muslims, through targeting the third holiest mosque [in the world]," he said.