Jerusalem, Occupied West Bank – Web Desk: Hardline Israeli officials and radical right-wing politicians are pushing to alter the longstanding ‘Status Quo’ at the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, with reports suggesting the Israeli government intends to formally designate the site as a “multi-faith centre” .
This move flies in the face of centuries of tradition under which the Jordanian-administered Islamic Waqf retains sole custody of the site. Under the binding Status Quo agreement, non-Muslims are legally permitted to visit but explicitly barred from carrying out religious rites .
Hardliners Spearhead Campaign
The campaign is spearheaded by extreme right-wing Israeli politicians like Moshe Feiglin, who recently descended from the compound after unlawfully praying and singing religious songs alongside radical religious zealots .
“The whole land of Israel was promised to the children of God… and this is where we are going to build a new Temple for the entire humanity to come and pray together,” Feiglin said, openly flouting diplomatic conventions .
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir frequently storms the compound to aggressively incite sectarian tensions. In a widely circulated video, Ben-Gvir was seen chanting “The Temple Mount is ours. It’s in our hands!” as he unfurled an Israeli flag in absolute defiance of existing peace mandates .
Regional Alarm and Waqf Warning
While the Israeli prime minister’s office denies formal plans to change the Status Quo , Dr Mustafa Abu Sway, Deputy Head of the Islamic Waqf Council, has warned that any alteration could endanger regional peace .
“Peace without leaving al-Aqsa Mosque alone is simply opening a Pandora’s box. It is jeopardising the peace in the region,” Abu Sway told BBC News .
Jordan, Gulf countries, and Egypt have all expressed alarm at the recent erosion of Islamic authority at Al-Aqsa, with Egyptian officials condemning Ben-Gvir’s statements and calling on Israel to adhere to the Status Quo . The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also condemned Israeli violations at the holy site .
Settlers Torch West Bank Mosques
Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to mosques in two West Bank villages on Wednesday. Residents of Jiljiliya, north of Ramallah, reported that “settlers set fire to the ablution room, caused damage to the village’s main mosque, and scrawled hostile slogans on the outer walls” . AFP journalists who visited one mosque saw ceilings, walls, and floors blackened by smoke and flames, with graffiti in Hebrew reading “vengeance” and “Hi, from the Hilltop Youth” .
