occupied Jerusalem, ALRAY - Israeli occupation government has implemented a discriminatory measure concerning the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which carries grave consequences for both the mosque and the residents of Jerusalem. These decisions are intended to reinforce and legitimize the process of Judaization and settlement, as well as to proclaim Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish people as a whole.
During their weekly meeting, which took place for the first time in a tunnel beneath the Buraq Wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Israeli occupying government approved substantial funding to support the process of Judaization, settlement activities, and the encouragement of Israeli settlers to enter the courtyard of the Buraq Wall.
Deputy Director-General of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, Najeh Bakirat, stated that the Israeli occupation government's decision to hold their meeting beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque represents a challenge to the Arab and Islamic nation, and is a direct affront to all countries that consider Jerusalem an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967.
One of the notable decisions that Israeli occupation government took, was the allocation of an additional 4 million shekels to encourage the trespassing of the Buraq Wall and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the allocation of 30 million shekels to continue excavations in the Moroccan Quarter and the Buraq Wall area under the pretext of archaeological research. Furthermore, a ministerial committee called "Greater Jerusalem" was formed, with the mission of revitalizing "Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
It also allocated a substantial budget for the development of the so-called "Holy Basin" project, which is considered the largest act of tampering and distortion in the history of Islamic, Arab, and Palestinian heritage in Jerusalem.
Bakirat noted that the approval of Israeli occupation government on a series of Judaization and settlement decisions and the allocation of significant budgets for the Judaization of the city represents a highly dangerous escalation. The so-called "Holy Basin" Judaization project is nothing but the destruction of the demographic structure of the Jerusalem residents and an assault on neighborhoods such as Silwan, Ras al-Amud, and Sheikh Jarrah.
The Israeli occupation decisions came just two days after the provocative "Flag March" organized in Jerusalem, as well as the conclusion of the Arab Summit in Jeddah, which reaffirmed the adherence to Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.
These decisions pose a challenge to the Arab nation and show disregard for the feelings of Muslims and Arabs.
“We are facing an impending demographic war aimed at displacing and expelling the Jerusalemites from their lands and homes, transforming them into gardens and symbols of Jewish heritage. Additionally, there are violations against the Bab al-Rahma and Yusufiya cemeteries, the confiscation of approximately 2,500 acres of land surrounding the Old City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the continuation of Judaization projects in the city,” Bakirat said.
According to Bakirat, the Israeli occupation government's discussion of the issue of Al-Aqsa Mosque during their meeting in the tunnels of the Buraq Wall is a clear message to the Arab and Islamic nation that they have control over the core of Al-Aqsa and that they may seize control over what is above it in the future. They are planning to divide it end the Islamic presence within it.
The Israeli meeting was accompanied by the provocative incursion of the extremist Minister of Public Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, into Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as a campaign of arrests and expulsions targeting the residents of Jerusalem. Additionally, there were settler attacks in the Old City. According to Bakirat, these actions provide a clear indication that the main objective is not religious but rather political, aimed at diverting attention from Netanyahu's domestic crises.
According to Bakirat, the establishment of the Ministry Committee for Greater Jerusalem by the Israeli occupation government serves as a mechanism to consolidate the efforts of more than 85 Israeli institutions dedicated to the Judaization of Jerusalem. The committee's primary objective is to accelerate the process of Judaization and settlement in the city.
He elaborated that the Israeli occupation is actively searching for novel approaches and strategies to suppress and displace Palestinians in Jerusalem. This involves augmenting the presence of police and Israeli security forces in the city with the aim of linking its eastern and western parts.
He stressed that the Israeli occupation government, through its perilous choices, seeks to divide the neighborhoods of Jerusalem, encourage a large influx of settlers, facilitate the establishment of Jewish residences in the Old City, and escalate persecution against the residents of Jerusalem. This includes imposing punishments, confiscating their lands, and seizing their homes.
Bakirat's concern grows even stronger as he warned about the alarming transformation of Jerusalem. He highlighted that the city, which holds significance as the capital of the Palestinian people, is being targeted to serve as the capital of the Jewish state project. Furthermore, he expressed deep concern about the attempts to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque, ultimately leading to its demolition and removal.
