Israeli court clears way for Jewish prayers on Mosque Plaza
The Dome of the Rock where Palestinians pray on the Mosques esplanade, January 31, 2020. For years, religious Jews have been praying in secret on the esplanade.
REUTERS / Ammar Awad
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
This decision calls into question years of status quo regarding Islam's third holiest site in Jerusalem.
An iconic place at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Waqf, the Muslim religious authority which manages the Esplanade des Mosques, condemns this decision, which is described as "
dangerous
".
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,
Sami Boukhelifa
It all starts with the arrest of a rabbi by the Israeli police.
Two weeks ago, this Jewish cleric was caught praying silently on the Esplanade des Mosques, also considered the Temple Mount, a sacred place in Judaism.
The man lodged a complaint and Israeli justice won his case.
An “
irresponsible
”
decision
, denounces Azzam al-Khatib, director of Waqf, the Muslim authority in charge of managing the Mosques esplanade.
“
We see this decision as very dangerous because it sets a precedent,
” he said.
We reaffirm it: the al-Aqsa Mosque is a Muslim place of worship that will not be divided, nor managed in partnership with anyone.
Only Muslims have the right to pray there.
"
East Jerusalem, the Palestinian part of the Holy City, has been occupied by Israel since 1967, in violation of international law.
But the Esplanade des Mosques never came under Israeli sovereignty.
For Azzam al-Khatib, it is essential to maintain the status quo.
“
The Israeli occupation is brutal
.
They want to take over the al-Aqsa mosque by force, but they are doing it methodically, he
says.
I hope that voices will rise up against these Israeli actions
.
"
The Esplanade des Mosques crystallizes all the tensions.
Last May, the incursion of Israeli police officers into this Muslim holy place helped spark
war in Gaza
.
► See also: Meeting in Ramallah between Mahmoud Abbas and an Israeli delegation
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