Al-Aqsa Under Division: Israeli Occupation Opens Mosque to
Settlers, Restricts Muslims
The
Al-Quds International Foundation warned of the Israeli occupation’s move toward
imposing a de facto division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, through the decision to
open it on Tuesday to settler incursions on the sixth day of the Hebrew
"Passover," after keeping it closed to Muslims throughout Ramadan and
Eid al-Fitr under the pretext of "public safety."
Division
of Al-Aqsa
The
foundation pointed out that the Israeli occupation authorities had recently
assaulted worshippers and arrested several of them, before moving today to open
the mosque to settlers, despite no change in the security situation, and amid
an escalation of rocket fire targeting settlement areas.
It
clarified that the Israeli occupation intends to allow 150 settlers per group
to enter, while permitting only 150 Muslim worshippers, according to a decision
by the far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who entered
the mosque in preparation for implementing these measures.
The
foundation affirmed that this mechanism deepens the division of Al-Aqsa Mosque
and attempts to impose an "equal right" between Muslims and settlers,
paving the way for its transformation into a shared religious site that serves
the full Judaization project.
It
explained that limiting the number of worshippers contradicts the nature of
congregational prayer in Islam, while aligning with the system of settler
incursions, which effectively opens the mosque entirely to settlers while
restricting Muslim presence to numbers insufficient to fill even the first row
of the Qibli Mosque, within Al-Aqsa’s total area of 144,000 square meters.
The
foundation noted that opening Al-Aqsa to settlers during Jewish holidays, after
closing it during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, reflects the exploitation of war to
change the mosque’s identity and to prioritize its Jewish character over its
Islamic identity—a significant step toward its Judaization.
It also
considered that granting the authority to open the mosque to the Minister of
National Security, supported by the Supreme Court, makes him the de facto
controller of Al-Aqsa’s affairs, undermining the role of the Islamic Waqf under
Jordan, which holds legal jurisdiction over its management.
The
foundation viewed this as a political insult to Arab and Islamic countries,
which have called for the mosque to be opened without translating their demands
into practical steps, emphasizing that this reality is unacceptable.
It
called on the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations to take
urgent action, stressing that implementing these measures would leave Al-Aqsa
open to settlers while closed to Muslims, which must be confronted by all
available means.
It also
urged Palestinians to head to Al-Aqsa, break the imposed closure, and perform
prayers inside the mosque, at its gates, and in its surroundings, to prevent
the establishment of a new reality that limits Muslim presence there.
The
foundation renewed its call to Jordan, both officially and through the
Jerusalem Waqf, to restore its role in managing the mosque and to announce its
opening to worshippers without restrictions, as it is the authority entrusted
with its protection and care.
It
affirmed that the previous lack of effective action enabled Itamar Ben-Gvir to
impose himself as the decision-maker over one of the most important Islamic
holy sites.
The
foundation also called on the masses, political forces, scholars, and opinion
leaders to prioritize opening Al-Aqsa and to intensify popular, media, and
political efforts to achieve this.
It
concluded by stressing that the current phase represents a true test of the
nation’s ability to reclaim its role, underscoring the necessity of exerting
all efforts to open Al-Aqsa Mosque without conditions and to thwart attempts to
impose a new Judaization reality within it.
(Source:
News Agencies)
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