Because the sermon concerning the Muslim holy month of Ramadan sounded over the audio system from Al Aqsa Mosque, 13-year-old Yousef al-Sideeq sat on a bench exterior the compound’s gates.
“Most Fridays they stop me from getting in, for no motive,” the younger Jerusalem resident stated, referring to the Israeli police.
Each Friday, Yousef visits Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis to hope at Al Aqsa, the third holiest web site for Muslims and a part of the compound sacred to Jewish folks, who name it the Temple Mount. However because the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assaults and Israel’s ensuing bombardment of Gaza, closely armed Israeli police forces who guard most of the Outdated Metropolis’s gates have stopped him from getting into the compound, he stated.
He has managed to get in solely twice.
Muslim entry to the mosque has lengthy been some extent of rivalry as Israel has exerted tighter management lately over the compound, certainly one of many restrictions Palestinians residing beneath many years of Israeli occupation have needed to endure.
As Ramadan begins, many additionally concern what, if any, further constraints Israel might impose on the spiritual web site, which may draw 200,000 folks in in the future from not simply Jerusalem however the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and Israel as an entire.
The Israeli police stated that individuals had been “getting into after enhanced safety checks which are carried out as a result of present actuality, alongside efforts to forestall any disturbances.” However they didn’t reply particular questions on whether or not there was a coverage stopping sure worshipers, particularly younger males, from getting into the mosque on Friday.
They stated they had been “sustaining a steadiness between the liberty of worship and the crucial of guaranteeing safety.”
Late on Sunday, Palestinian and Israeli information media reported that cops prevented many Palestinians from getting into Al Aqsa to carry out prayers for the beginning of Ramadan. Each media cited a video that confirmed officers with batons chasing and beating some Palestinians.
Israel has stated there was no change to the established order, which permits solely Muslims to worship on the compound. The location is revered by Jews as the placement of two historical temples, and by Muslims because the Noble Sanctuary, the compound containing Al Aqsa Mosque and different essential Islamic prayer areas. The compound contains the Dome of the Rock, a gold-domed prayer corridor.
Israel captured East Jerusalem, together with the Outdated Metropolis and the Aqsa compound, from Jordan in 1967 and later annexed it. A lot of the world considers it occupied territory and doesn’t acknowledge Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem.
Many Palestinians say their entry to Al Aqsa compound has grow to be more and more restricted in favor of Jews, who take into account the Temple Mount essentially the most sacred place in Judaism.
Incidents on the compound have at instances been the spark for broader conflicts. The second intifada, or Palestinian rebellion, was set off in 2000 when Ariel Sharon, who later turned Israel’s prime minister, visited Al Aqsa surrounded by tons of of cops. Confrontations on the compound in Could 2021 contributed to the outbreak of an 11-day struggle between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas, the Palestinian armed group which has been in charge of Gaza for years, known as its Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel Al Aqsa Flood, saying it was partly a response to “Judaization plans” on the mosque.
The assault killed about 1,200 folks, and a few 200 folks had been taken hostage, in keeping with the Israeli authorities. Israel’s assault on Gaza in its struggle in opposition to Hamas has killed greater than 30,000 Palestinians, in keeping with Gazan well being officers.
In recent times, Jewish worshipers have prayed contained in the Aqsa compound. Essentially the most excessive search to construct a 3rd Jewish temple on the positioning of the Dome of the Rock.
A number of the most provocative episodes have been raids into the Aqsa compound by baton-wielding police forces firing tear gasoline and sponge-tipped bullets who’ve clashed with Palestinians throwing stones and setting off fireworks.
“Al Aqsa Flood got here as a response to the settlers’ violations in opposition to Al Aqsa,” stated Walid Kilani, a Hamas spokesman in Lebanon, referring to Jewish worshipers.
Israeli cops “stormed the mosque and insulted the Muslim prayers there,” he added. “We needed to retaliate, as Al Aqsa is our holy web site and is talked about within the Quran.”
Within the preliminary weeks of the struggle, solely Muslims ages 60 and older had been allowed in, stated Mohammad al-Ashhab, a spokesman for the Waqf — an Islamic belief that administers the mosque and that’s financed and overseen by Jordan.
Attendance at Friday Prayer, a Muslim holy day, dropped to only 1,000 from 50,000, he stated.
Although the scenario has improved since then, he stated, many Muslims are nonetheless prevented from attending.
Many Palestinians concern for the way forward for Al Aqsa, particularly whereas Israel’s most right-wing authorities ever is in energy.
Final week, the federal government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated it had determined in opposition to placing new restrictions on Al Aqsa throughout Ramadan and would permit an identical variety of worshipers as in earlier years.
Along with longstanding Israeli restrictions on Muslims coming from the occupied West Financial institution, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right nationwide safety minister, had known as on the federal government to impose limits this 12 months on Palestinian residents of Israel.
Nonetheless, the ambiguous language of the Israeli authorities’s choice has some involved. Human rights teams concern that freedom of worship may very well be curtailed beneath the guise of safety and security.
“Netanyahu’s assertion doesn’t really assure full freedom of entry for Muslims to Al Aqsa, however fairly situations it on safety and security wants,” Ir Amim, an Israeli rights group that focuses on Jerusalem, stated in an announcement following the choice. “This in flip might result in a call to finally apply collective entry restrictions throughout Ramadan.”
“Our freedom of worship has gone backwards,” Mr. al-Ashhab stated.
To succeed in Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Muslim worshipers on Friday needed to get by way of not less than three layers of police barricades, the place the authorities prevented folks from getting into, checked IDs or searched baggage. Many arrived with prayer rugs in hand.
AbdulAziz Sbeitan, 30, was dashing by way of a Muslim cemetery on the sting of the Outdated Metropolis, having been turned away from Lion’s Gate, certainly one of seven entrances to the historic district. He was on the cellphone with mates who had been making an attempt to enter from different gates.
The Jerusalem native has at all times attended Friday Prayer at Al Aqsa, however since Oct. 7 he hasn’t been in a position to get in as soon as. Every Friday he tries a number of gates.
Generally he accompanies an older girl or younger women in an effort to get by way of, however every time the police have pushed him again, he stated.
“It’s a home of God and the home of our ancestors,” Mr. Sbeitan stated as he walked shortly towards Herod’s Gate. “As Muslims, it is necessary; Al Aqsa is for Muslims.”
As he arrived at Herod’s Gate, he noticed many younger males being turned away, in some instances violently shoved by the police.
Mr. Sbeitan cursed beneath his breath as he lit a cigarette, watching. Round him different younger males supplied recommendation and, in some instances, discouragement.
“Come, let’s attempt one other gate,” one stated to his pal.
“Guys, we tried all of the gates, they gained’t allow you to in,” one other man advised them. “They allow us to in as soon as, after which as soon as we had been contained in the gate they pushed us again out.”
He stated the Israeli police advised him that younger males weren’t allowed to enter. Like many others, the person, a 28-year-old Jerusalemite, didn’t need to give his identify for concern of retribution by the police.
It wasn’t simply younger single males being barred. Fathers with little kids and a few ladies had been turned away as properly.
“It’s all in keeping with their whims,” one girl stated as she walked away after being prevented from getting into by way of Lion’s Gate.
As the decision to prayer sounded inside Al Aqsa, Yousef, the 13-year-old, joined an impromptu gathering of dozens of younger males who couldn’t get in.
In previous weeks these prevented from praying inside Al Aqsa would collect within the streets and conduct their very own sermon and prayer. However on Friday it appeared even more durable because the Israeli police shoved them away from Lion’s Gate and farther exterior the partitions of the Outdated Metropolis.
Undeterred, one man started the decision to prayer, at instances barely audible over the sound of sirens and horns alongside the road, buses trundling previous and the police shouting.
Quickly, one other man stepped on high of a sidewalk stone barrier and started to present a casual sermon.
“Will we not liberate Palestine?” stated the person, who gave his identify solely as Yousef, fearing retribution regardless of the chance he had already taken in main a sermon.
As he completed, extra closely armed cops piled out of two automobiles.
The person appeared unfazed. He then led dozens — principally youngsters and males of their 20s and 30s — in prayer on a crowded Jerusalem sidewalk surrounded by two church buildings and the Tomb of the Virgin. The gold Dome of the Rock, the middle of the Aqsa compound, was barely seen over the Outdated Metropolis partitions.
Abu Bakr Bashir contributed reporting from London.