Israel bars Muslims from accessing holy sites
Tens of thousands of troops deployed in occupied Jerusalem and Hebron to ‘protect’ Jews celebrating Passover
Israeli occupation soldiers accompany Jews past the Dome of the Rock mosque during a visit to the Al Haram Al Sharif in the old city of Jerusalem yesterday during the Jewish Passover holiday.
Image Credit:AFP
Ramallah: Amid the Jewish commemoration of Passover, the Israeli regime has imposed restrictions and enforced stifling security measures in Al Haram Al Sharif in occupied East Jerusalem, barring Palestinians from entry. Only a few Muslim worshippers are allowed in during prayer times but, at all other times, they are completely barred.
Israeli occupation forces are also preventing Palestinians from accessing the Al Ebrahimi Mosque in Hebron altogether and have clamped down on calls to prayer.
“We have been told that entry to Palestinians is strictly forbidden,” said Hifzi Abu Snainah, the director general of the mosque.
“We have been ordered not to call for prayers till the celebrations of the Jewish feast of Passover are over,” Abu Snainah told Gulf News.
“Al Ebrahimi Mosque is private property belonging to Muslims, but nonetheless it [Israel] has been taken over the holy site with their military force.”
To “protect” Jewish worshippers, tens of thousands of Israeli occupation forces have been deployed in occupied Jerusalem’s Old City as well as inside the premises of the Muslim holy site, Al Haram Al Sharif.
Israeli forces reportedly arrested 13 Jewish worshippers for sacrificing animals at the holy site.
Jews are allowed to visit Al Haram Al Sharif but they are not supposed to perform religious rituals there, according to a long-standing status quo agreement. Attempts by the Israeli regime to change the status quo have led to an escalation in violence and tensions which have claimed the lives of 210 Palestinians and 33 Israelis and foreign nationals.
The Israeli regime took over Al Haram Al Sharif and the entire eastern part of Jerusalem, annexing the areas during the 1967 Mideast war. It, however, left the Jordanian Waqf Department to administer and run the Muslim holy sites in a historic status quo agreement, which governs access to the holy shrine.
Incursions by Jews into the Al Haram Al Sharif premises have been the leading cause of violence in the occupied areas since last year. Palestinians say the Israeli regime is encouraging its citizens to violate the status quo agreement in a deliberate attempt to alter the ground reality and destroy aspects of Palestinian and Muslim identity in occupied Jerusalem.
Fakhri Abu Diyab, who heads the local committee in defence of occupied Jerusalem, said that at least 40 Palestinians belonging to the Al Murabiteen (defenders of the holy site) had been strictly banned from entering Al Haram Al Sharif and official ban notices issued to them. Even the elderly must leave their identity cards at the gates to the holy site upon entering at prayer time and must leave immediately after the prayers in yet another measure, he said.
“The situation is extremely bad and dangerous for the Palestinians and the Muslims at the holy site,” Abu Diyab told Gulf News even as thousands of colonists and far right Jews continue to enter the holy site daily to pray and perform Talmudic rituals as part of Jewish rituals marking the Passover.
The Israeli regime has expanded the visiting hours for Jews and, during those hours, Muslim worshippers are strictly denied access to the holy site.
Jordan, the custodian of the Muslim holy shrine, has meanwhile charged Israel with violating the status quo agreement governing access to the holy site.
“Israel’s violations against the Palestinian and Muslim worshippers are violations of the international laws and conventions and could have dangerous consequences,” said Mohammad Al Momani, the spokesperson of the Jordanian government, in a statement carried by Petra News Agency.
“Israeli authorities must immediately stop such moves, deny entry to Israeli colonists and Israeli forces into the yards of the holy shrine and allow Palestinian worshippers to enter Al Aqsa Mosque,” he added.
