Can Jews pray on the Esplanade des Mosques?
Yes, but in "
silence
", an Israeli court ruled this week, questioning decades of the status quo in this emblematic place of Jerusalem, at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The move sparked an uproar among Palestinians and Muslim countries, calling it a “
violation
” of Islam's third holiest site, home to the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Jews call the site Temple Mount, considered the holiest place in Judaism that hosted the two temples once built by the Hebrews.
To read also In Jerusalem, chaos and rage on the esplanade of the mosques
On September 29, Rabbi Arie Lippo was arrested by the Israeli police for praying silently on the esplanade in East Jerusalem and banned from visitors for two weeks.
Outraged, he appealed after admitting to praying there in silence daily.
Judge Bilha Yaalom of the Jerusalem Magistrates' Court overturned the police decision on Tuesday.
“
The complainant prays silently in a corner, with no audience around.
I don't see how he represents a danger to public order as the police claim
, ”she said after seeing police videos.
The Israeli police control the entrances to this holy place administered by the Waqf, the body responsible for Muslim property in Jerusalem depending on neighboring Jordan.
"
Provocations
"
Since the capture in 1967 and then the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel - not recognized by the international community - an agreement allows Jews to access the esplanade at certain times, but not to pray there.
Prayer normally takes place at the Western Wall, below, although for years religious Jews have been praying in secret on the esplanade.
These religious Jews occasionally cause incidents by undertaking to pray surreptitiously on the esplanade after having climbed there as simple visitors.
This creates tensions with faithful Palestinian Muslims who fear that Israel will try to change the rules of access to the site.
Read also Jerusalem: tensions on the Esplanade des Mosques on the sidelines of a Jewish commemoration
"
There is no reason that Jews should not be allowed to pray even in silence as if they were strangers to this holy place
," said the rabbi's lawyer, Me Moshe Polsky. He praised a court decision "
which authorizes de facto what has been happening for a year on the Temple Mount
", namely Jews who go there to pray in silence. The director of the al-Aqsa mosque, Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, lambasted the Israeli court ruling. "
These prayers are provocations and a violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa,
" he told AFP. “
The decision has no legitimacy, as we do not recognize Israeli laws on Al-Aqsa.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called on Israel not to impose a "
new fait accompli
" on the plaza and urged the United States, an ally of Israel, to "
honor its commitment to maintain the status quo
" on the
plaza.
holy places of Jerusalem.
Police call
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), based in Saudi Arabia and which represents more than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, denounced an "
unprecedented assault on the inalienable rights of Muslims
". Egypt saw it as a "
violation
" which would have repercussions on "
the security and stability of the region
". And Jordan has pledged to “
firmly
”
oppose
any Israeli judgment targeting “
sacred places
” in Jerusalem. The Israeli police themselves appealed against the court ruling, arguing that Arié Lippo had “
behaved improperly in a public place
”.
Read also Jerusalem: new clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police on the Mosque esplanade
The plaza was at the heart of the outbreak of the 10-day war in May between Israel and the ruling Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza.
After clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police that left hundreds injured on the plaza, Hamas launched rocket salutes at Israel and the Israeli army retaliated, giving rise to another deadly conflict.
For the journalist and Israeli nationalist activist Arnon Segal, the court decision "
will trigger a violent reaction on the Palestinian side and dissuade the legal system and the State of Israel from authorizing prayers, even silent
".
