Khaberni - The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments and Affairs stated that Jewish extremists, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, raided the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem 27 times, while the occupation prevented the call to prayer 53 times at the Ibrahimi Mosque during last December.
The Ministry of Religious Endowments reported today, Sunday, that the occupation and its settlers escalated their attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the number of raids reaching 27, coinciding with dozens of settlers storming the mosque on the first day of the Festival of Lights, amid increasing calls for ongoing raids throughout the holiday week, and attempts to hold candle-lighting rituals inside the mosque's courtyards under the protection of the occupation forces.
It referred to the dangerousness of the recurring occupation attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, suggesting these manifested a clear strategy aiming to normalize the religious and ritualistic Jewish presence inside the mosque. It alerted to the nature of attacks which are now being conducted on a daily basis, such as heroic prostrations, blowing the shofar, and wearing prayer shawls in a clear display of their worship practices, and their collective Talmudic prayers, conducted at a specific place and times, clearly enshrining a temporal and spatial division.
The Ministry of Endowments pointed out that since last August, settlers boast about their prayers and heroic prostrations, openly and collectively in Al-Aqsa, with the eastern area of Al-Aqsa, near the Mercy Gate prayer hall, becoming the main spot for settler prayers.
A large number of zealous settlers held noisy celebrations in the area of the Western Wall west of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, echoing throughout the Old City, coinciding with the start of the Hebrew month last night and today, what is called the "Hanukkah".
This took place under the supervision and protection of the occupying police, which consistently prevents the guards of Al-Aqsa Mosque affiliated with the Jerusalem Religious Endowments from performing their duties within its courtyards during these raids, and restricts them.
The Israeli Knesset preliminarily approved a bill related to the expression of Jewish identity in public spaces, which would allow Jews to pray and wear tefillin (prayer boxes) publicly, including at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, freely and without restrictions.
In relation to the Ibrahimi Mosque, the ministry said that the occupation prevented the calling of prayer 53 times, heard noises from noisy parties inside the confiscated part, and barred several employees from entering the mosque without justification, continuing the routine closure of the market gate to hinder worshipers from reaching the Ibrahimi Mosque.
Several armed settlers were present at the eastern gate of the mosque, held noisy parties in its vicinity, and prevented the calling of midday prayers, holding loud and provocative music parties in the confiscated section by the eastern gate.
The occupation continued to close the market gate and the eastern gate, and further unfamiliar excavation activities within the Ashraf Corner.
The occupation placed "two caravans" inside the mosque park next to the electric room, surrounding the area with barriers, and intensifying security measures to prevent the Endowments' employees from understanding their use, as well as varying the periods during which worshipers were barred from entering the mosque under the pretext of "lack of electricity".
Moreover, the occupation expelled the muezzin from the prayer call room during Friday prayer, in addition to tightening military measures at the entrances of the mosque.
The ministry condemned the daily violations carried out by the Israeli occupation in Al-Aqsa and the Ibrahimi Mosque, urging the Palestinian people to frequent these sites and stay there through praying and other times, affirming that being present at these two mosques serves as protection against this occupation.
