In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Sabri, who is the head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem, said that Muslims welcome the month of Ramadan with joy and anticipation, “following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,” adding that “the situation in Jerusalem is different” in light of the “harsh measures” taken by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against those coming to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Sabri explained that the Israeli authorities decided to ban dozens of people from the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan, and announced that they would not provide any facilities for worshippers coming from the occupied West Bank. He considered these measures to be “incompatible with freedom of worship, and a disruption to Muslims in performing the obligation of fasting.”
Every year during Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank flock to occupied East Jerusalem to perform prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, at a time when Israel, since the outbreak of the war of annihilation on Gaza on October 7, 2023, has imposed strict restrictions on the passage of West Bank residents through military checkpoints leading to Jerusalem, requiring permits that are difficult to obtain.
This comes as Netanyahu’s government makes changes affecting the “status quo” at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, by allowing Israeli police, under the direction of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to permit intruders to perform prayers and religious rituals inside the mosque.
The "status quo" refers to the arrangements in place since before 1967, which stipulate that the right to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque is reserved for Muslims only, while the Islamic Waqf manages its administration, and non-Muslims are permitted to visit only. However, since 2003, Israeli police have allowed Jewish groups to storm the mosque, despite repeated demands from the Waqf to stop.
Sabri pointed out that he was personally subjected to incitement by extremist right-wing groups, and that decisions were issued against him, including preventing him from traveling and from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to referring him to court on the grounds of religious statements that were interpreted as inflammatory political positions.
Sabri stressed that the Israeli measures are not limited to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but extend to the Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, especially those close to the mosque.
In closing, Sheikh Akrama Sabri called on the Arab and Islamic peoples and regimes to bear their responsibilities towards Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, stressing that Muslims, who number around two billion, must have a stronger influence in defending their holy sites and imposing the world’s respect for them.
