Ramallah: The Israeli regime will soon begin construction of a new building adjacent to Al Buraq Wall (referred to the Western Wall by Jews) where Jews waiting to raid the Muslim holy site of Al Haram Al Sharif can comfortably gather and wait. Palestinians say this is a bid to encourage more Jews to illegally raid the Muslim holy site and enflame existing tensions.
Under a status quo agreement, Jews may visit Al Haram Al Sharif, but may not perform religious rituals there.
Radical Jewish groups have been campaigning to encourage more illegal raids on the Muslim holy site. Palestinians say that the Jewish pilgrims have the full backing of the Israeli government and point to the fact that Jewish groups raiding the mosque’s premises have the full protection of Israeli occupation soldiers.
Palestinians blame the Israeli regime over the escalation of violence and tensions, accusing them of seeking to change the status quo agreement.
Israel has already effectively changed the status quo regarding Al Buraq Wall and the surrounding plaza, allowing only Jews to access it for prayer.
“This new facility is another example of the attempted Judaisation of Al Haram Al Sharif,” Shaikh Najeh Bakeerat, who heads the Al Aqsa Mosque, told Gulf News.
These Jewish groups hope that by continuing illegal raids on the holy site, it will become an accepted reality for Jews to pray there and ultimately ban Muslms altogether.
Palestinian defenders of the Al Aqsa Mosque known as Al Murabiteen, who have been effective at discouraging Jewish raids on Al Haram Al Sharif, have been completely deterred from entering the holy Muslim site.
Palestinians from the 1948 areas and residents of occupied Jerusalem have been on the front lines of defending the holy site. But Israel has taken draconian measures to curb their presence there, including denying them medical insurance or even revoking their identity cards.
“There are no more Murabiteen at Al Haram Al Sharif since Israel deterred them from entering the holy site,” said Shaikh Bakeerat.
“The entire project of Ribat [Defending] at the holy shrine has really come to an end.”
