Israeli occupation police are now allowing Jewish settlers to ascend Al-Aqsa Mosque with printed prayers for first time, in a possible indication that Judaization of the occupied city is on the rise.
Israeli and Palestinian media reported that Zionist settlers were handed liturgical leaflets on Wednesday morning ahead of their ascent to the compound.
Non-Muslim prayer is nominally forbidden at Al-Aqsa Compound due to a string of unwritten agreements between the Israeli occupation authorities and Jordan, which administers the site through Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Islamic Waqf.
The occupation police have not issued an official statement on the change. Beyadenu, an organization advocating for the so-called “Jewish prayer rights” on the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, said that for now only a specific brochure produced by a yeshiva – a Jewish educational institution- near the holy compound has been approved.
While in the past, occupation police would eject or detain Jewish visitors caught praying on Al-Aqsa, this policy has largely fallen to the wayside over the past three years under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has repeatedly called on law enforcement to allow Jewish prayer there.
In recent years, Jewish settlers have been permitted to pray and prostrate themselves in the eastern part of the complex, but were still barred from bringing prayer items to the site.
The shift comes two weeks after Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled, an associate of Ben Gvir, was appointed to the sensitive position of Jerusalem District commander, replacing Deputy Commissioner Amir Arzani, who went on leave. Peled formerly served as deputy police chief.
Haaretz Israeli newspaper reported that Arzani departed under duress after he pushed back against the far-right Ben Gvir’s attempts to further relax restrictions on Al-Aqsa Compound.
Source: Israeli and Palestinian media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)