The Ibrahimi Mosque: Steadfastness in the Face of Judaization Attempts

In the heart of Hebron stands the Ibrahimi Mosque, one of the oldest Islamic landmarks in Palestine and one of the holiest religious sites for Muslims, housing the tombs of the prophets Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives. However, this landmark, which embodies a deeply rooted Islamic cultural and spiritual spirit, has not been spared the onslaught of the Israeli occupation, which has pursued a systematic policy since 1967 aimed at Judaizing the mosque and altering its religious and architectural character.

The tragedy began with the occupation of the city of Hebron, where the occupation authorities imposed a harsh military reality around the mosque, embodied by the erection of barriers and checkpoints that impeded Palestinians' access to their places of worship, transforming the area into a closed military barracks, particularly during Jewish holidays. Over the years, the violations worsened dramatically, culminating on February 25, 1994, when settler Baruch Goldstein perpetrated a horrific massacre during dawn prayers, killing 29 worshippers and wounding more than 200 others.

The massacre was not the end of the catastrophe, but rather its beginning. Instead of holding the killer accountable, the occupying government proceeded to divide the mosque temporally and spatially, setting a dangerous precedent. It allocated more than 60% of its area to Jews, barred Muslims from entering large parts of it, and tightened military measures around it. The call to prayer was also banned from it dozens of times a year, on the grounds that it "disturbs settlers," in a flagrant violation of religious rights guaranteed by international law.

The attacks did not stop there. The occupation authorities embarked on systematic architectural Judaization measures, most notably the installation of electronic gates and surveillance cameras, and modifications to the mosque's internal structure without coordination with the Islamic Waqf. The project to build an elevator through the mosque's courtyard is considered one of the most dangerous Judaization projects, as it aims to impose Jewish sovereignty over the site under the guise of "development," despite the objections of Palestinians and international institutions.

This is accompanied by the accelerating settlement expansion in the Old City of Hebron, where Palestinian homes adjacent to the mosque have been transformed into settlement outposts, in an attempt to strangle the mosque within a Jewish demographic circle. Amnesty International has described these policies as "a model of apartheid" and explicitly violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

In the face of these policies, Palestine has taken diplomatic action through international forums, successfully registering the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City of Hebron on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2017. The decision represented rare international recognition, but it remained without enforcement mechanisms, given the international community's inability to impose legal obligations on the occupying authorities.

With increasing provocations, including daily raids, armed demonstrations inside the mosque, and the participation of Israeli ministers in provocative religious rituals, the Ibrahimi Mosque remains hostage to an occupation that does not recognize the sanctity of holy sites or UN resolutions. Legitimate questions arise here: What is the point of international laws if they remain unchecked? When will the world's silence be broken in the face of repeated violations without accountability?

The Ibrahimi Mosque is not only a religious landmark, but also a symbol of Palestinian identity and the Islamic presence in Hebron. Remaining silent about attempts to Judaize it is ignoring a rich history and inalienable human and religious rights. Protecting it is a collective responsibility, requiring a firm international stance and concerted Palestinian official and popular efforts to defend it.