What's happened
Jewish groups are increasingly visiting the Temple Mount during Sukkot, challenging longstanding restrictions and provoking tensions with Muslims. Meanwhile, Israeli forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to facilitate Jewish visits, and Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led a provocative incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, escalating tensions amid ongoing Gaza conflict negotiations. These actions deepen religious and political divides in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
What's behind the headline?
The recent surge in Jewish visits to the Temple Mount signals a significant shift in religious and political dynamics in Jerusalem. The increasing acceptance among religious Zionist rabbis to visit the site, despite traditional bans, reflects a broader push for Jewish sovereignty over the area. This movement risks inflaming tensions with the Muslim community, who see the site as sacred and are strongly opposed to Jewish prayer or presence there. The provocative actions of Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, including his incursion into Al-Aqsa and his declaration of victory over the site, serve to escalate these tensions further. These moves are likely to deepen the cycle of violence and provoke international criticism, especially from Palestinian and Arab states. The closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque and the curfews in Hebron highlight the ongoing conflict over religious sites and the broader Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The timing of these actions, coinciding with Gaza conflict negotiations, suggests they are part of a broader strategy to assert control and influence in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The risk is that these provocations will lead to increased violence, undermine peace efforts, and entrench divisions between Israelis and Palestinians. The international community will likely continue to call for restraint, but the underlying issues of sovereignty, religious rights, and land remain unresolved, making future escalation probable.
What the papers say
The Times of Israel reports that Jewish groups are increasingly visiting the Temple Mount during Sukkot, challenging traditional restrictions and provoking tensions with Muslims. The article details the growing acceptance among religious Zionists to ascend the site, despite longstanding rabbinical bans, and highlights recent incidents of Jewish visitors attempting to pray or bring offerings, which have been met with police detentions. It also covers the internal religious debates and opposition from Haredi communities, emphasizing the contentious nature of these visits.
Meanwhile, The New Arab documents the Israeli authorities' decision to close the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron to facilitate Jewish visits during Sukkot, condemning it as a violation of Muslim rights and a provocation. It also reports on Israeli forces imposing curfews and escalating tensions in Palestinian neighborhoods, alongside the death of Palestinian prisoner Ahmed Khdeirat due to medical neglect.
Additionally, The New Arab covers Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's provocative incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, which drew condemnation from Hamas and other Palestinian groups. Ben-Gvir's statements framing the Temple Mount as 'landlord' and his calls for victory over Gaza further inflame tensions, especially as negotiations for Gaza ceasefire and hostage releases are ongoing. His actions are portrayed as deliberate provocations aimed at asserting Israeli dominance over the site and escalating the broader conflict.
How we got here
The controversy over Jewish visits to the Temple Mount has grown as religious Zionists push for greater access, challenging the status quo established after the Six Day War. Historically, the site is administered by Jordan, with restrictions on Jewish prayer, but recent years have seen increased visits and protests. Concurrently, tensions in Palestinian territories have escalated, with Israeli authorities closing key religious sites like the Ibrahimi Mosque and conducting provocative visits to Al-Aqsa, amid broader conflicts over land, sovereignty, and religious rights. These developments are set against a backdrop of ongoing violence and negotiations over Gaza.
Go deeper
More on these topics
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The Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Haram esh-Sharif and the Al Aqsa Compound, is a hill located in the Old City of Jerusalem that for thousands of years has been venerated as a holy site in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike.
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Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is the third holiest site in Islam. The mosque was built on top of the Temple Mount, known as the Al Aqsa Compound or Haram esh-Sharif in Islam.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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Itamar Ben-Gvir is an Israeli lawyer, and a leader in the Israeli far-right Otzma Yehudit party. He is known for defending Jewish radicals on trial in Israel. He has called for the expulsion of Arab citizens of Israel who are not loyal to Israel.