Jerusalem Governorate warns of attempts to impose new Jewish rituals around Al-Aqsa

The Jerusalem Governorate warned of organized attempts to impose repeated Jewish religious rituals in the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly in the Bab al-Rahma area, considering these moves aim to impose a new religious reality and change the identity of the site.

The Jerusalem Governorate, in a statement issued Monday, warned of organized moves by Jewish groups aiming to impose repeated religious rituals in the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with a focus on the Bab al-Rahma area. The governorate indicated that these moves have gone beyond seasonal rituals and have become an organized path to impose a new religious reality. It mentioned that settlers performed rituals in the Bab al-Rahma cemetery adjacent to the eastern wall of the mosque, along with creating a WhatsApp group named "Open for us, Gates of Mercy," and promoting beliefs linking the area to the "Temple" and the "Shekhinah." The governorate affirmed that the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in its entire area of 144 dunams, is a pure Islamic place of worship, and that the occupation authorities have no sovereignty over Jerusalem or the right to change the identity of the mosque. It warned that treating these practices as transient rituals will encourage their expansion and turn other points around the mosque into gathering sites.