OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
At a time when regional transformations are accelerating and the Palestinian cause is declining on international agendas, the Israeli occupation continues its measures inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, taking advantage of the absence of deterrence and the fragmentation of positions.
Israel has continued for 29 days to close Al-Aqsa Mosque, in one of the longest closure periods the Mosque has witnessed, amid strict measures preventing worshipers from reaching its courtyards.
A systematic change to the status quo
Researcher in Jerusalem affairs Fakhri Abu Diab believes that what is happening inside Al-Aqsa is part of an integrated plan aimed at changing the historical and legal status of the Mosque, not merely temporary measures.
He confirms in a statement to the PIC correspondent that the occupation is working to gradually entrench temporal and spatial division, taking advantage of weak Arab and Islamic positions and the absence of real international pressure.
He points out that “Temple” groups have begun to move with increasing confidence inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, considering that every incursion is an additional step toward imposing a new religious reality.
Al-Aqsa at the heart of the settlement project
For his part, expert in settlement affairs Khalil Tafakji links what is happening in Al-Aqsa to the broader Israeli project in Jerusalem, based on “slow accumulation” of control.
He explains in a statement to our correspondent that the occupation does not move in shocking steps all at once, but rather adopts a gradual policy, whether through expanding settlements or imposing restrictions on Palestinians, ultimately leading to reducing their presence and strengthening Israeli dominance over the city and its holy sites.
Escalation under a security cover
Prior to the current closure, the occupation authorities followed a repeated policy of closing Al-Aqsa or restricting access to it, then reopening it under strict conditions, under the pretext of “security considerations.”
According to observers, this pattern is no longer a temporary measure, but a tool to reset the relationship between Palestinians and the Mosque, turning the right to worship into a privilege subject to security decisions.
“The Temple” and the red heifer, postponed religious considerations
Despite the escalation in the rhetoric of extremist groups calling for the establishment of “The Temple,” Tafakji points out that this step is still linked to religious considerations within the rabbinical establishment, amid disagreements over timing and conditions, especially regarding the signs of the “red heifer.”
However, according to researchers’ estimates, this does not negate that the current measures represent a long-term preparation to create conditions for such scenarios.
Jerusalemites alone, an equation no longer possible
In light of policies of expulsion, arrest, and continuous restrictions, the two researchers confirm that relying on Jerusalemites alone to protect Al-Aqsa is no longer realistic. The absence of political, material, and moral support has contributed to exhausting the state of steadfast presence and creating a growing sense of frustration.
Observers believe that the genocide committed by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip, and the escalation of the policy of impunity, have encouraged Israel to continue its policies without fear of deterrent reactions.
For its part, the International Union of Muslim Scholars stressed that opening Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers is a religious and humanitarian duty, affirming its rejection of closing it or restricting access to it, and describing what is happening as a dangerous precedent not seen for decades, which requires a serious stance from the Islamic nation.
In a statement, the Union called on Islamic countries to take urgent action, warning that the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque paves the way for imposing sovereignty over it, threatens its Islamic identity, and changes its existing reality.
The statement also urged the masses of the Islamic nation to organize peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins, to express rejection of these measures and affirm adherence to religious rights.