In safety precaution, Israel bars Friday Ramadan prayers at Temple Mount amid Iran war
Israeli authorities stress that all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City are closed to worshippers, as gatherings remain capped at 50 people despite easing of restrictions
Amid the war with Iran, Muslim worshippers will not be permitted to attend Friday Ramadan prayers this week at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli authorities announced Thursday.
“The State of Israel is committed to freedom of worship and religion, and has allowed this during the first two weeks of the blessed month of Ramadan, but the axis of death led by Iran endangers everyone’s lives through its continued launching of rockets toward Israel and the entire region,” said Brig. Gen. Hisham Ibrahim, chief of the Civil Administration, a Defense Ministry body that’s part of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit, which regulates much of daily life in the West Bank.
“For this reason, and in accordance with the instructions of Israel’s Home Front Command, and to preserve public safety and protect people, all holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, will remain closed tomorrow, Friday, and worshippers and visitors of all religions will not be allowed to enter,” Ibrahim added in a video posted on COGAT’s Facebook page.
In the first two Fridays of Ramadan, thousands of West Bank Palestinians were permitted by Israel to enter Jerusalem for the prayers at Al-Aqsa. Israel said that it would cap the number of Palestinian worshipers from the West Bank attending the weekly prayers at 10,000.
Thursday’s announcement that Friday prayers won’t be permitted atop the Temple Mount this week came as Israel eased some restrictions amid the slowing pace of Iranian ballistic missile attacks, although gatherings remain capped at 50 people and can only be held if a shelter can be reached in time.
Since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran on Saturday, Israeli authorities have, for security reasons, barred access to the Old City for anyone other than residents or shop owners, with an Iranian warhead impacting just several hundred meters from the Temple Mount on the first day of fighting.
“The Muslim worshippers who associate Ramadan with praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque are very heartbroken by this closure,” Mustafa Abu Sway, deputy head of the Islamic Waqf that manages the holy site, told the New York Times. “If the issue is the safety of worshipers, then Al-Aqsa Mosque has massive subterranean halls that can host thousands of people.”
“Our prayers are for a quick end to this war and for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East,” he added.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and was home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims call the site the Noble Sanctuary. It is home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and the iconic Dome of the Rock shrine.
The site has seen violence, particularly with large crowds gathering during Ramadan, and has seen clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces over the years, with Hamas using its religious symbolism as a means of rallying support.
Agencies contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.