Will extremists infiltrate Al-Aqsa on the occasion of Yom Kippur? | policy

Occupied Jerusalem- From sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday, the Jews celebrate the “Day of Atonement” (Kippur), which is considered the holiest day of the year, and it is the tenth day completing the days of repentance that begin with the Hebrew New Year in the month of Tishrei. Religious people fast on this day for 25 hours. It is dedicated to holding oneself accountable, making amends, purifying oneself from sins, and performing Talmudic prayers and rituals in synagogues.

Although extremist temple groups do not consider Yom Kippur an occasion to carry out central raids For Al-Aqsa Mosque – Because it is considered a day of worship and special prayers in synagogues – the numbers of those storming Al-Aqsa Mosque in the past two years indicate the keenness of these groups to prove their presence in this sanctuary on this occasion.

According to statistics from the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem In the year 2022, 548 extremist men and women stormed the mosque, and on Yom Kippur their number reached 461. In 2023, 658 extremist men and women stormed it on the eve of Yom Kippur, and on Yom Kippur 486 deliberately stormed it wearing white priestly robes and performed prayers in the eastern region.

Therefore, the total number of people who stormed the mosque on this occasion in 2022 amounted to 1,009 extremists, and in 2023 it rose to 1,144 extremist men and women.

Favorable days and police protection

What is different this year is that the eve of Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur will fall on Friday and Saturday, during which the Mughrabi Gate is closed to settlers’ incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, but it is not unlikely that some extremists will infiltrate the mosque from other doors, as happened on Friday, October 4. This October, when two settlers stormed the mosque from Bab al-Qattanin and performed the epic ritual of prostration and blew the trumpet, before the occupation police took them out.

Al Jazeera Net went to the deported preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ikrima Sabri, and asked him about the possibility of settlers infiltrating again and the significance of the increase in the number of intruders in holiday He explained that “everything is possible in terms of attacks,” calling on the guards of Al-Aqsa Mosque to “be careful to thwart any attempt that violates the sanctity of Al-Aqsa and violates the mosque’s etiquette.”

He said that the occupation police “protect those intruders who consider that these days are favorable and appropriate for them to change the reality at Al-Aqsa and increase the frequency of their performance of Talmudic prayers there.”

“Extremist Jewish groups take advantage of these holidays to attack Al-Aqsa, believing that these incursions give them the right to practice worship. We consider these incursions an assault on the sanctity of Al-Aqsa and not just a visit, emphasizing our legal right to the mosque by decision of the Lord of the Worlds,” Sabri added.

Establishing the Jewish presence

As for the professor of Jerusalem Studies at Istanbul University, May 29, and the former media and public relations official at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Abdullah Marouf, he began his speech to Al-Jazeera Net by saying that despite the lack of centrality of this occasion in the Al-Aqsa raids, this year the topic differs greatly, given that this season comes within the first anniversary. For the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood.

Therefore, it is not unlikely that extremist temple groups see this day as necessary to confirm their presence in Al-Aqsa and hold rituals for the temple in its space, and it is possible that we will witness infiltration attempts, Marouf says.

“There are attempts to establish the Jewish presence in the mosque during the days that are considered far from raids – according to the view of the occupation government To divide the mosque Temporarily, I think that these groups see in the current season in particular a golden opportunity to change all these theories, decisions and understandings and impose a new reality inside Al-Aqsa.”

Regarding the role assigned to the Islamic Endowments Department and the guards of Al-Aqsa Mosque at this stage, Marouf stressed “the importance of opening eyes wide and focusing strictly on preventing any intrusions or attacks on Al-Aqsa, because extremist groups see this time as a time for revenge for all past defeats.”

We must not forget – according to Marouf – that Yom Kippur is linked in the Israeli mentality to the 1973 war that took place on this occasion, and therefore they believe that this time is the appropriate time to repay Muslims with the most precious thing they possess. “This is not an analysis, but rather statements made by a number of Leaders of settlers and extremist clerical religious groups.”

Marouf stressed that the responsibility does not fall on the guards alone, but rather on all Jerusalemites who must protect the mosque from the people, and this may be through patrolling all the doors of the mosque and inside the prayer halls and courtyards to prevent any attack or threat, especially in light of the extremists’ announcement of their intention to harm this mosque. And get rid of it publicly because they see this as the best response to the attack of October 7 of last year.

Closing Jerusalem neighborhoods

According to Jewish beliefs, “Yom Kippur” is the day on which the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, descended from Sinai for the second time, bringing with him the Tablets of the Law, where he announced that the Lord had forgiven the Jews for their sin of worshiping the golden calf.

On Yom Kippur, the teachings of the Jewish religion forbid daily activities such as eating, drinking, wearing leather shoes, applying perfume, bathing, having sexual intercourse, lighting a fire, writing with a pen, and operating cars. During this day, Jews wear the white garment of repentance.

Air, land and sea crossings are closed, as well as public and private institutions, schools and universities. Cars and public transportation of all types are prohibited from moving on Yom Kippur, and the visual, audio and print media stop working.

On Yom Kippur, the Jews also practice some special rituals, such as slaughtering white poultry to atone for sins. The source of this ritual is the book “Hazael” in the Mishna, which stipulates waving a chicken or a rooster above the head while repeating a special prayer after which the bird is slaughtered, with the prohibition of eating it after it is slaughtered.

On this holiday, Jerusalemites are imprisoned in their neighborhoods by the occupation force, which closes the entrances to their towns with cement cubes, so that the Jews – who consider the Arab movement on this day a provocation to their religious feelings – can be cleansed of their sins.