OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, has warned of a “dangerous escalation” targeting the holy site, amid growing pressure from Israeli right-wing politicians and extremist Temple groups to expand settler incursions into the holy site later this month.
Sabri, who heads the Islamic Higher Committee in Jerusalem, said in a statement on Tuesday that repeated incursions by settlers, the raising of Israeli flags near the Mosque compound, and attempts to impose new realities at the site form part of a “systematic Judaization project” backed by the current Israeli government.
He warned that extremist organizations were intensifying efforts to alter the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa, describing the developments as a direct attack on freedom of worship and the sanctity of religious sites.
The warnings came after Israeli media reported that 13 members of the Knesset, including ministers and lawmakers from the ruling Likud party and the Religious Zionism bloc, submitted a petition demanding that settlers be allowed to enter Al-Aqsa on Friday, 15 May, coinciding with what Israel marks as “Jerusalem Day.”
The petition called on Israeli police to open what signatories referred to as the “Temple Mount” to Jewish visitors despite the date falling on a Friday, when settler incursions are usually prohibited.
It also proposed opening the compound on the preceding Thursday evening if access on Friday was denied.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was also accused of leading efforts to change the long-standing status quo at the Mosque compound, while Jerusalem police chief Avshalom Peled has reportedly overseen measures including extending settler visitation hours and allowing written prayer materials into the site.
Palestinian and Jerusalem-based groups warned that the moves are aimed at imposing temporal and spatial division at Al-Aqsa, similar to the arrangement imposed at the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil.
The date also coincides with the 78th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, adding further sensitivity to the calls for expanded settler access.
Temple groups have additionally launched campaigns demanding permission for settlers to raise Israeli flags inside the Mosque compound under police protection.
In response, Palestinian religious and civic figures called for intensified Muslim presence and steadfastness at Al-Aqsa, particularly during Friday prayers, stressing that mass worship attendance is essential to confronting attempts to alter the Mosque’s religious and historical character.