Every Friday for the past two months now, there are pitched battles between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers in the Old City of Jerusalem.
But what makes these battles unique is that on one side are the Israeli soldiers and police, with their assault rifles, barricades, tear gas, water cannons, “skunk” machines and assorted weapons, and on the other side are Palestinians, unarmed, without even stones to throw at their Goliath. The only weapons these Palestinians carry with them are their prayer rugs.
Palestinians – men, women, youth, and elders – walk miles attempting to reach Al Aqsa Mosque, trying every gate. Each path is blocked by Israeli guns and barricades.
People prevented from entering Al Aqsa pray as close to the Mosque as possible
Palestinians hear the call to prayer, put down their prayer mats, and pray as close to the holy site as possible. Israeli soldiers and police then attack the worshippers.
The next week these same acts are repeated.
Israeli authorities have now issued demolition orders for the housing complex where the Imam of Al Aqsa, 84 year old Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, lives, in apparent collective punishment and retaliation for encouraging Muslims to pray at Al Aqsa, or as close as they can get.
Imam of Al Aqsa, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, and home demolition papers. photo credit: isramudallal on Instagram
For those who have criticised Palestinians for a lack of commitment to nonviolence, or otherwise hypothesized the end of nonviolent resistance among Palestinians, one need only follow the voice of the muezzin in the Old City of Jerusalem to see the creative, steadfast, courageous, living embodiments of peace and grace under pressure—the noble worshippers of Al Quds—who, week after week, face down an army with a prayer.
Muslims were prevented from entering Al Aqsa for Friday prayers on November, 17 2023. According to Palestinians in the Old City of Jerusalem, this is the sixth week in a row that the majority of people coming to pray have been denied entry.
Israeli border police denied many worshippers entry into Al Aqsa Mosque and pushed them at multiple gates and checkpoints in the Old City.
Israeli Border Police repeatedly told worshippers that they could not enter the Al Aqsa Mosque and to go back to their houses. One elderly man said, “Even we elders cannot enter?” And a woman asked, “Not even a woman can enter?” The Israeli Border Police repeatedly said, “Go. Go. Everybody go.” The Border Police supervisor reiterated to his subordinates, “Everybody coming, just tell them to go.”
A Palestinian just denied entry explains the situation, “We try. We do the best to enter. We are not allowed because we are Arab, but we will do our best.”
Worshippers began to do their jum’ah (communal Friday prayers that are considered a religious obligation in Islam) as close to the Muslim Holy Site as they could get, but Israeli police attacked them there too as they kneeled in prayer.
The loudspeaker from inside the Mosque can be heard reciting a Hadith, a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, familiar to many Palestinians experiencing oppression. According to tradition, Muhammad stated, “Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed.” A man responded, “I will help him if he is oppressed but if he is an oppressor, how shall I help him?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing, for that is how to help him.”
Al Aqsa Mosque is at the heart of the current escalation, termed a war by Israelis and genocide and ethnic cleansing, a continuation of the Nakba begun in 1948 by Palestinians. Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza have regularly been denied entry into Al Aqsa, but now Israeli border police are denying more and more worshippers entry, even those with the “right” documents.
Israeli Border Police deny access to Al Aqsa Mosque
Israeli border police pushed worshippers attempting to enter Al Aqsa. Somebody cried out חילול השiם (chillul hashem) to those barring entrance to the Muslim Holy Site. Chillul hashem is Hebrew for desecrating the Name of God. In Judaism, Jews are supposed to be representatives of God and God’s moral code, so when a Jewish person acts in a shameful, oppressive manner, they have represented God poorly, thus desecrating God’s name. The concept of chillul hashem is prevalent in the Torah and Tanakh and is often referenced by Jewish people as a reason to uphold the highest moral standard.
In 1994 a settler from the Kach terrorist group opened fire on worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Kahlil (Hebron) killing 29 people and injuring about 150. Afterwards, the mosque was divided in half, with half staying open to Palestinian worshippers and the other half turned into a synagogue, closed to Palestinians.
Violent extremist Israeli settlers have made no secret of their plans to destroy Al Aqsa Mosque and the Haram-e-Sharif on which it rests, and replace it with a third Jewish Temple.
There has been a decentralized leaderless movement to defend Al Aqsa through sit-ins at the historic Mosque. But many of these Mosque protectors have been blacklisted and are now barred from entry.
August 11 | International Solidarity Movement | Old City, East Jerusalem, occupied Palestine
Hundreds of settlers invaded the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem’s Old City this morning after Israeli soldiers used tear gas, sound grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets to clear out Muslim worshippers.
61 Palestinians were injured and 15 hospitalised when soldiers and police let loose on tens of thousands of Muslims celebrating the first day of Eid al-Adha.
Just minutes after the morning prayer, the peaceful scene descended into chaos as men and women were beaten by riot police and children ran screaming from tear gas and sound grenades.
A Palestinian from East Jerusalem who witnessed the violence told ISM that he saw an elderly man hit by soldiers, and three other men beaten and covered in blood before being arrested.
The Red Crescent reported that one man suffered a broken jaw while others were treated for rubber-coated steel bullet wounds and burns from exploding sound grenades. ISmers also saw two men arrested inside the Lion’s gate.
Muslims pray at the Lion’s Gate entrance in Jerusalem’s Old City
After many Palestinians fled from the compound, 1,700 settlers in total were given permission to enter – the second time this year during a Muslim holiday. They were escorted by heavily armed soldiers in smaller groups of 100-200. The ultra-nationalists claimed to be seeking entry to commemorate Tisha B’Av, a Jewish holiday, which coincided this year with Eid al-Adha.
However Palestinians believe that the invasion was entirely politically motivated. “It’s a political issue and nothing to do with religion,” the East Jerusalem resident told ISM. “They want to show who has the power, who are the ones in charge. Don’t forget, it’s election time and these fanatics are very important to win over for the Israeli government.”
Hundreds of settlers were waiting by the Dung Gate entrance of the compound near the Western Wall from around 8am, chanting over the bangs of sound grenades exploding inside.
The number of settlers permitted to enter was 17% more than on Tisha B’Av last year when the Jewish holiday did not coincide with Eid al-Adha.
Ultra-nationalist Jews wait at the Dung Gate to enter Al-Aqsa compoundUltra-nationalist Jews wait at the Dung Gate to enter Al-Aqsa compoundUltra-nationalist Jews praying in Jerusalem Muslim Quarter
They continued their provocations for the rest of the day, trying repeatedly to enter the Al-Aqsa compound through different gates. As late at 8.30pm, ISMers saw the fanatics holding a ceremony by the Lion’s Gate entrance to Al-Aqsa. A local told ISM that this display has never happened before. “There’s no limits, no limits to what they are doing today,” he said.
The extremist groups had released a call out earlier this week to raid the compound on Sunday.
In an attempt to prevent the settler invasion the Muslim Waqf – the authority that controls the compound – had delayed the prayer by an hour and encouraged worshippers to stay in Al-Aqsa afterwards to deter the Israeli government giving them the green light.
Ultra-nationalist Jews praying at one of the gates of Al Aqsa mosque in the afternoonUltra-nationalist Jews praying at one of the gates of Al Aqsa mosque in the evening
But after thousands of Palestinians fled the compound the numbers inside were low enough to be deemed ‘safe’ for settlers to enter.
Muslims were also prevented from re-entering the site for around two hours after.
A Palestinian woman sat crying at the Lion’s Gate after being refused entry and a man was briefly detained and searched. Another woman who was also denied entry and aggressively pushed back by soldiers when she tried to pass said: “I am a Muslim. I am outside. There are Israelis inside. Inside my Al-Aqsa.”
Worshippers were eventually allowed back in to the compound after being forced to wait for hours while settlers roamed free inside.
For the past 10 years, Israel has been making steps to control the holy site, allowing more and more ultra-nationalist Jews to enter.
A movement in Israel’s far right is behind this push for more access to the compound. They are also seeking permission which would allow Jews to pray at the site which is currently forbidden.
20th July 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Qalandiya, Occupied Palestine
On the second Friday during Ramadan, hundreds of Palestinians from the West Bank crossed Qalandiya checkpoint to access Jerusalem and pray at the Al Aqsa mosque.
From the early hours of Friday, many hundreds of Palestinians from all across the West Bank queued at Qalandiya checkpoint, the main access to Jerusalem. Although the first prayer of the day was at 4am, Israeli authorities did not allow anyone to cross until that time, meaning that no one could access the mosque for the Fajr prayer.
Palestinian women waiting in the queue for Israeli soldiers to let them through the checkpoint (Photo by ISM)
Before 4am, women, children and people with special needs were already waiting at the “Humanitarian lane” located in the usual entrance to the terminal. A roadblock was set up across the road and Israeli soldiers behind the roadblock were gradually letting people go through.
In the mens lane, located on the opposite side, soldiers were also guarding the line behind the roadblock. However, all men between the age of twelve and forty were denied access and turned back. When asked, several Palestinian youths waiting near the roadblock said: “We cannot go to Jerusalem and pray at Al Aqsa just because we are Palestinians and under forty years old”.
Whilst women are allowed to go to Jerusalem without permits, men between the ages of twelve to thirty-five are still never granted access. Even access for those people that Israel claims to allow to enter freely is “conditional on individual security restrictions”.
During the Muslim holiday month of Ramadan, Israel authorities claim to make concessions to those who wish to visit the Al Aqsa compound. Friday is the holy day in Islam, making the four Fridays during Ramadan particularly important times for Palestinians to reach Al Aqsa mosque for prayer whilst they are fasting.
Palestinian youth waiting at the roadblock not being allowed to go to Jerusalem (Photo by ISM)
Although the Israeli authorities present this access as a generous concession, Palestinians should be able to access their own land freely and without requiring permission.
The Apartheid Wall splits the Palestinian capital, Jerusalem, from the West Bank. The city contains one of the most holy sites in Islam, the Al Aqsa compound, which is therefore unreachable for the majority of the Palestinian population. Although the 1967 borders show that East Jerusalem, including the old city and Al Aqsa are part of the West Bank, Israel unilaterally moved the border back over seventy kilometres, annexing East Jerusalem.
29 February 2012 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza
Israeli riot police have entered the Al Aqsa Mosque Compound, Palestinians have struggling to protect it for days. After 66 days Khader Adnan has ended his hunger strike, hopefully, soon, he will be home with his family. Even before his hunger strike ended the newest one had begun. Hana Shalabi, a young woman from the West Bank, was put into “administrative detention” on February 16, 2012. Like Khader Adnan she has been charged with no crime. Like Khader Adnan she finds dignity more important than food. Hana Shalabi was only recently released from Israeli prisons, freed in the latest prisoner exchange between Israel and Palestine. She had spent over two years in prison when she was released, she had not been charged with a crime that time either. These are the things that inspired this week’s demonstration against the no go zone and the occupation in Beit Hanoun.
As we gathered on the road beside the half destroyed Beit Hanoun Agricultural College the wind blew fiercely. The flags did not wave in the breeze, they were held stretched out in full. Those that did not have flags had posters of Al Aqsa. Music played over the megaphone. We marched quietly and quickly down the road to the no go zone. As we approached the buffer zone the chanting began, dozens of young men pledging to defend Al Aqsa and demanding the end of occupation. We marched to the ditch that bisects the no go zone, we stopped. Sabur Zaaneen from the Local Initiative of Beit Hanoun said a few words, “Al Aqsa is at the center of our nation, it is at the center of our life, we will not abandon it.” Sabur announced that we would symbolically join Hana’s hunger strike, for two hours we would remain in the no go zone and neither eat nor drink.
Soon, the Israeli shooting began. The first bullet I thought was perhaps the crack of a flag in the wind; there was no mistaking the bullets after that. We retreated a bit, then the young men stopped and rallied. The flag we had been standing by now had a hole in it. We walked back toward the wall; soldiers appeared on top of the concrete tower from which they had so recently shot at us. The soldiers started to fire tear gas at us. The fierce wind carried it away too quickly for it to be really effective. They started to shoot at us again. The bullets whistled over our heads. We were unarmed demonstrators, who had not so much as thrown a ball of cotton, who had no guns, being shot at by soldiers in a concrete tower. This is the only way the occupation knows how to speak, with bullets, with tear gas. We started to walk back toward Beit Hanoun, bullets whistling over our heads. We stopped at the edge of the no go zone. Some of us set down to continue our symbolic hunger strike. The Israeli bullets began again. They continued to shoot as we walked back to Beit Hanoun. The entire time the Israeli soldiers shot at us Hana Shalabi refused to eat and drink, her refusal is louder than their bullets. We will win.
