Al-Aqsa Storming: Escalation on the Eve of Elections to Garner Votes

Sheikh Dr. Ekrima Sabri: What happened is a "media demonstration" led by right-wing parties to show Al-Aqsa as if it is under their control and to encourage Jews to come to Palestine.

Sheikh Muhammad Hussein: The danger facing Al-Aqsa Mosque has become real as a result of continuous violations and attempts to undermine its historical and religious status.

Dr. Majed Saqr: "Temple" groups seek to prepare public opinion and the field to implement their final plan of demolishing Al-Aqsa Mosque and building the alleged Temple.

Ma'rouf Al-Rifai: These incursions have become part of a political and official process that seeks to change the historical and legal status quo in Al-Aqsa and impose manifestations of sovereignty.

Archbishop Atallah Hanna: Targeting Al-Aqsa does not only affect Muslims but also targets Christians, just as the assault on Christian endowments represents a targeting of all Palestinians.

Father Abdullah Yulio: Jerusalem will remain the focus of attention and a symbol that unites Muslims and Christians, and preserving it is a shared responsibility until it regains its status and rights.

Ismail Muslemani: Israeli far-right parties politically exploit these incursions to gain the support of their electoral bases and demonstrate adherence to the "sovereignty" agenda over Jerusalem.

Ramallah - Exclusive to "Y"-

In one of the largest waves of incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, more than four thousand settlers stormed the mosque's courtyards last Thursday, on the anniversary of what is called the "Temple Destruction Anniversary," amidst tight protection from Israeli occupation forces, in a scene that sparked widespread Palestinian warnings that these movements exceed the limits of traditional incursions, to fall within a path aimed at changing the status quo in the mosque and imposing a new reality within it.

Officials, Muslim and Christian clerics, and specialists confirm, in separate interviews with "Y", that the large gathering of settlers, which coincided with what is called the "Temple Destruction Anniversary," reflects a systematic escalation led by "Temple" groups with Israeli political and official support, in an attempt to turn Jewish religious occasions into stations for increasing the number of infiltrators, and showing Al-Aqsa Mosque as if it is under Israeli control.

They warn that the participation of extremist Israeli political figures in these incursions, led by the so-called Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Knesset members, and allowing the performance of Jewish religious rituals within the mosque's courtyards, represent an indication of the transition of these practices from the activity of extremist groups to a policy supported by official institutions.

They affirm that the seriousness of the incursion lies not only in the number of participants, but in the nature of the political and religious messages carried by these movements, which aim to entrench the temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque and undermine its Islamic and historical identity, calling for strengthening Palestinian presence and steadfastness in the mosque, and activating Arab, Islamic and international action to pressure for an end to these measures and to preserve the status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

Attempts to change the status quo

The head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem, Sheikh Dr. Ekrima Sabri, confirms that the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially during Jewish religious occasions, come within the framework of attempts aimed at changing the status quo in the mosque, and opening the way for extremist Jews to enter it.

Sabri explains that the right-wing Israeli government uses these incursions to appease its political bases at the expense of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rights of Muslims in it.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is a fixed legitimate right for Muslims

Sabri affirms that what happened in Al-Aqsa Mosque last Thursday represents an aggressive and provocative act, stressing that these incursions, no matter how often they are repeated, will not grant the occupation or the settlers any right in Al-Aqsa Mosque, because the right of Muslims in it is a fixed legitimate right.

Sabri points out that the settlers enter Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the occupation forces, which reflects their lack of any right in it, while Palestinians are keen to adhere to their religious and historical right in the mosque.

A media demonstration led by right-wing parties

Sabri considers that what happened represents a "media demonstration" led by extremist right-wing parties to appease the Israeli street, and to show Al-Aqsa Mosque to the world as if it is under their control, in addition to encouraging Jews around the world to come to Palestine.

Sabri points out that these practices fall within a political and media propaganda that the Israeli right seeks to exploit to achieve gains in the upcoming elections.

Call to continue pilgrimage

Sheikh Dr. Ekrima Sabri calls on Palestinians in general, and the people of Jerusalem in particular, to continue their pilgrimage to Al-Aqsa Mosque and strengthen their presence in it as the most important way to confront these policies.

Sabri calls on the Islamic world and Arab governments to use their official, diplomatic and commercial tools to exert pressure on the occupation, which contributes to stopping its aggressive transgressions against Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem.

A blatant assault on the sanctity and inviolability of Al-Aqsa

The Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, confirms that the widespread incursion carried out by settlers into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday represents a blatant assault on the sanctity and inviolability of the mosque, and a clear violation of the existing religious, historical and legal status quo in it, warning that these widespread incursions come within a plan aimed at changing the mosque's identity and status.

Sheikh Hussein explains that the number of infiltrators exceeded four thousand settlers, led by the so-called Israeli Minister of Internal Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and a number of Knesset members, considering that the participation of these official figures confirms that the Israeli government itself participates in and leads these incursions and assaults on Al-Aqsa Mosque, as part of a systematic policy aimed at imposing a new reality within the mosque.

He points out that the seriousness of what happened is not limited only to the size of the incursion, but includes the practices carried out by extremists within the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its precincts, by performing their own religious rituals, considering this a clear message of defiance to the sanctity of the mosque and an assault on the right of Muslims in it. Hussein stresses that Al-Aqsa Mosque is a purely Islamic mosque for Muslims alone, and is not subject to temporal or spatial division, and no religious rituals other than Islamic worship may be introduced into it.

A comprehensive Israeli plan to Judaize the Holy City

The Mufti of Jerusalem confirms that these assaults come within the context of a comprehensive Israeli plan to Judaize the Holy City and change the existing conditions in Islamic and Christian holy sites, stressing that what happened is rejected and condemned according to international laws, regulations and customs.

He affirms that the danger facing Al-Aqsa Mosque has become real as a result of continuous violations and attempts to undermine its historical and religious status.

Sheikh Hussein calls on the Arab and Islamic nations, governments and peoples, to take a clear and effective stance towards these assaults, and to use available political, diplomatic and legal means to pressure the Israeli government to stop these practices.

The Mufti of Jerusalem calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities, in light of Israel, its government and its extremist organizations exceeding all limits against Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites.

He points out that preventing worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque since dawn, coinciding with allowing large numbers of settlers to storm it, represents a serious matter that should receive the attention of the Arab and Islamic worlds and the international community.

Sheikh Hussein stresses that preserving Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem is a collective responsibility, as they are part of the Arab, Palestinian and Islamic identity.

Incursions with dangerous political and religious goals

The Director of the Department of Preachers' Preparation in the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, Dr. Majed Saqr, confirms that the incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque come within a plan that carries dangerous political and religious goals, most notably imposing a new reality within the mosque, in preparation for consecrating temporal and spatial division, and changing its Islamic and historical identity, leading to the achievement of the goal of extremist "Temple" groups to establish the "alleged Temple" in place of the mosque.

Saqr explains that the occupation authorities are working to change the existing legal and historical status in Al-Aqsa Mosque, by attempting to undermine the powers of the Islamic Endowments Department and ending the "status quo," which allows for imposing full occupation sovereignty over the mosque's administration, and allowing settlers to perform Talmudic rituals, such as "epic prostration" and reading the Torah, with the aim of transforming the Jewish religious presence into a fait accompli within the courtyards of Al-Aqsa.

Preparing to implement the final plan of the Temple groups

Saqr points out that "Temple" groups seek, through these practices, to prepare public opinion and the field to implement their final plan, which is to demolish Al-Aqsa Mosque and build the alleged Temple.

He criticizes the state of Arab and Islamic weakness towards what is happening, considering that the nation has become burdened with divisions and wounds, at a time when voices have emerged questioning the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque or trying to strip Muslims of their right in it.

Saqr stresses that what is required from Palestinians is to achieve unity and develop a national program to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling on the Islamic nation to act and pressure by all means to preserve the first of the two qiblas, the second mosque built on earth, and the third mosque to which journeys are made.

Saqr calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities in protecting places of worship and the rights of worshipers, and not to turn international resolutions into mere ink on paper.

A systematic escalatory policy

The media advisor to the Governor of Jerusalem, Ma'rouf Al-Rifai, explains that the settlers' incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which coincide with what is called the "Temple Destruction Anniversary," fall within a systematic escalatory policy led by "Temple" organizations with the support and protection of the Israeli occupation authorities, with the aim of turning Jewish religious occasions into stations for imposing new realities within the mosque, and expanding the scope of incursions temporally and spatially, in a way that serves the projects of temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Rifai confirms that these incursions are no longer limited to movements carried out by extremist groups, but have become part of a political and official process that seeks to change the historical and legal status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and impose manifestations of Israeli sovereignty over it, by increasing the number of infiltrators, and allowing the performance of public Talmudic rituals within its courtyards, including wearing "tefillin" phylacteries, and performing what is called "epic prostration," in addition to chanting and prayers aloud, which reflects an escalation in the level of violations and attempts to establish a new reality within the mosque.

Raising the level of mobilization and incitement

Al-Rifai points out that the choice of this timing is linked to an attempt to exploit what is called the "Temple Destruction Anniversary" to raise the level of mobilization and incitement, and to turn Al-Aqsa Mosque into an arena for demonstrating control and imposing the Israeli narrative, noting that "Temple" organizations seek to achieve record numbers of infiltrators, and reach about five thousand settlers during this day, after the gradual increase in the number of participants during past years.

Al-Rifai warns that current indicators portend a stage that may witness further escalation, by expanding the times of incursions, increasing the number of infiltrators, and imposing new rituals within the mosque's courtyards, in addition to escalating demands to allow night incursions, change entry rules, and turn incursions into a more regular daily practice, which poses a direct threat to the mosque's Islamic identity and its historical and legal status.

Al-Rifai stresses that confronting these policies requires strengthening the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, unifying official and popular efforts to protect the city and its holy sites, in addition to effective Arab, Islamic and international action to pressure for an end to the measures targeting the status quo, and moving the issue of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the framework of statements and condemnations to practical political and legal steps that ensure the preservation of its status as a purely Islamic mosque, and safeguard freedom of worship and access to it.

A daily provocative phenomenon

The Archbishop of Sebastia for the Greek Orthodox, Archbishop Atallah Hanna, warns of the escalation of settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, considering them to have become a daily or semi-daily phenomenon, amidst settlers roaming inside it in a provocative, racist and hostile manner.

Hanna affirms his rejection of these practices, stressing that Al-Aqsa Mosque has a special religious status in Islam, which necessitates respecting its privacy and not storming it or provoking its custodians from the Islamic Endowments Department and worshipers in it with these unprecedented methods.

Hanna explains that the incursions are repeated on several occasions, including the anniversary of what is called the "Temple Destruction Anniversary," which reflects the existence of a plan aimed at changing the features of Al-Aqsa Mosque and imposing new realities within it.

Necessity of taking the highest degree of caution and vigilance

Hanna believes that what is happening requires the highest degree of caution and vigilance, warning that the current incursions may pave the way in the future for seizing parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque or imposing spatial and temporal changes in it.

Hanna affirms that the Holy City is going through a very dangerous and complex stage, stressing that targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque does not only affect Muslims, but also targets Christians and all members of the Palestinian people, just as the assault on Christian endowments represents a targeting of all Palestinians.

Hanna explains that Jerusalem is no longer facing merely a danger, but is experiencing a "real catastrophe," calling on the world to move beyond statements of condemnation and denunciation and to take practical steps and pressure the occupation to stop the practices that target Jerusalem in all its details.

Continuous escalation in Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories

Father Abdullah Yulio believes that the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by settlers coinciding with the anniversary of what is called the "Temple Destruction Anniversary" came within the framework of an "existing plan," considering that what was feared has come true, and that what happened does not represent an isolated incident, but falls within a continuous escalation witnessed in Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories.

Yulio explains that settlers are now moving under the protection and cover of the Israeli army, pointing out that they operate in different forms and organizations, which is a very dangerous development in the context of repeated assaults.

Yulio believes that Israel seeks to impose new realities on the ground and expand the boundaries of its control within the "Greater Israel" project, expressing hope that parties capable of stopping this path will intervene.

Serious concerns about the future of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Yulio affirms that the region is still experiencing the repercussions of war and regional tensions, warning that the continuation of these policies raises serious concerns about the future of Al-Aqsa Mosque, pointing out that he does not rule out the existence of a plan aimed at demolishing the mosque and establishing the "alleged Temple" in its place, if the current situation continues unchecked.

Father Yulio calls on Palestinians and Arabs, Muslims and Christians, to unite ranks and enhance awareness and field presence, and to work to convey the voice of the Palestinian people to the world, considering that unity of position and word can contribute to influencing international public opinion, and helping to stop what he described as the "devilish plan" and restore Palestinian rights.

Yulio stresses that the scenes of Al-Aqsa Mosque being stormed represent a dangerous development, but at the same time expresses his confidence in the end of the current stage, stressing that Jerusalem will remain the focus of attention and a symbol that unites Muslims and Christians, and that preserving it is a shared responsibility until it regains its status and rights, pointing out that what happened in Gaza was a gateway to defending Jerusalem and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Attempts to entrench settler incursions into Al-Aqsa

The Jerusalemite writer and political analyst Ismail Muslemani believes that the intensification of settler incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque during what is called the "Temple Destruction Anniversary" comes within an attempt to exploit a religious occasion with symbolic significance for national religious currents in Israel, with the aim of imposing new realities within the mosque and strengthening the presence of these groups in it.

Muslemani explains that these incursions aim to entrench settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque as an ordinary and repeated matter, while working to increase the number of participants, and gradually pushing towards imposing an actual temporal and spatial division in Al-Aqsa, even without officially announcing it.

An attempt to test Palestinian, Arab and Islamic reactions

Muslemani points out that these practices also represent an attempt to test Palestinian, Arab and Islamic reactions, and to exploit existing regional circumstances and preoccupations to expand the margin of movement.

Muslemani points out that Israeli far-right parties politically exploit these incursions to gain the support of their electoral bases and demonstrate adherence to the "sovereignty" agenda over Jerusalem, noting that these issues have become electoral material, as each party seeks to prove that it is the most serving of the agendas of extremist Zionist currents.

Muslemani warns of continued attempts to increase the number of infiltrators, expand the times of incursions, and impose Jewish religious practices within the mosque's courtyards, especially during Jewish holidays and seasons, which may raise the probabilities of tension.

Muslemani calls for strengthening Palestinian steadfastness and presence in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, intensifying diplomatic and legal action, supporting the steadfastness of Jerusalemites, and activating the Arab and Islamic role, especially the role of Jordan, the custodian of Islamic holy sites, to preserve the historical and legal status quo and prevent any unilateral changes.