Israel permits Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque, violating status quo

Key facts

• Jewish prayer is now formally permitted inside Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.
• Settlers were allowed to bring Jewish prayer books and conduct group prayers.
• This official permission represents a significant departure from the site's established status quo.
• The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf stated this constitutes an official breach of the long-standing arrangement.
• The status quo designates the Al-Aqsa complex as an exclusively Islamic holy site managed by the Waqf.
• This development is seen as part of a broader pattern of restrictions on Palestinian access and administration of the mosque.

Israeli authorities have officially permitted Jewish prayer within Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, a move described by Palestinian sources as a significant violation of the site's established status quo. This decision allows Jewish worshippers to bring prayer books and conduct group prayers, transforming what were previously unapproved, individual acts into an organized practice.

The status quo, an internationally recognized arrangement, designates the entire Al-Aqsa complex as an exclusively Islamic holy site managed by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. However, since occupying East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has been seen as progressively eroding this arrangement. The Waqf stated that the official permission for Jewish prayer constitutes a breach of this long-standing agreement, emphasizing the distinction between visiting and praying at the site.

Sources indicate this development is part of a wider campaign of restrictions on Palestinian access and administration of Al-Aqsa, which has intensified since October 2023. Police have reportedly stated their enforcement policies are in line with directives from the political leadership. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the police, has been a vocal proponent of asserting Israeli sovereignty over the mosque. Officials from the Islamic Waqf Council view these actions as a systematic dismantling of the historic status quo, with the Prime Minister's approval.