Unprecedented Decline.. A Colonial Plan Targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque Guards

SadaNews - The Jerusalem Governorate has warned of the danger of the unprecedented historical decline in the number of Al-Aqsa Mosque guards, resulting from escalating Israeli measures targeting the Islamic Waqf and its workers. It emphasized that what is happening represents a direct threat to the Waqf's ability to perform its role in protecting and managing the mosque.

It explained through its advisor, Ma'ruf Al-Rifai, that the occupation authorities are pursuing a systematic policy to reduce the number of guards and employees inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, as the number of guards on duty during the morning has now fallen to just 20, out of more than 50, who constitute the official number for a single shift, marking one of the most serious crises facing the guarding system in years.

He pointed out that this sharp decline follows a series of arbitrary measures, most notably the expulsion of more than 37 guards and employees from Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the cancellation of permits for 30 administrative employees from the West Bank, which has led to a clear paralysis in the work of various departments of the Waqf, including administrative, technical, and service aspects.

Al-Rifai noted that these measures cannot be separated from a broader Israeli policy aimed at weakening the role of the Islamic Waqf and hindering its ability to manage the mosque's affairs, pointing out that the occupation authorities continue to prevent maintenance and restoration work, even obstructing simple and necessary tasks within the mosque, in a blatant intervention in the authority of the legally responsible party.

He indicated that the occupation police have intensified their incremental strategy of seizing facilities and landmarks within Al-Aqsa Mosque under security pretexts, targeting four main facilities that the Islamic Waqf used as administrative offices and work sites: the Dome of Imam Al-Ghazali on the roof above the Mercy Gate prayer room, the Dar Al-Hadith Al-Sharif in the northeastern corner of the mosque, the Dome of Solomon in the northern courtyard, and the Dome of Moses in the southwestern corner. He explained that the occupation forces deliberately raid these facilities, break their locks, and prevent the Waqf from rehabilitating or using them, in a clear attempt to vacate them of their original function and gradually remove them from the management of the Islamic Waqf, reflecting a dangerous trend towards imposing new ground realities within Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He noted that this escalation coincides with other steps reflecting an unprecedented level of coordination between the occupation police and the extremist "Temple" groups, as the occupation police announced on June 3 a campaign to recruit new volunteers to what is called the "Temple Mount Unit," which is responsible for accompanying settlers and securing their incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, providing protection for their Talmudic rituals and violations within its courtyards. He emphasized that this trend clearly reveals the occupation's efforts to expand the influence of extremist groups and their arms within Al-Aqsa Mosque, alongside reducing the role of the Islamic Waqf and disrupting its work, serving the project of imposing Israeli control over the mosque and its facilities.

In a related context, Al-Rifai stressed the need to enhance the resilience of the Islamic Waqf employees financially and economically, in light of the worsening living challenges they face. He pointed out that their salaries are paid in Jordanian dinars, which, with the decline in its exchange rate against the shekel, has eroded their actual value and increased their financial burdens, especially with the exorbitant prices seen in Israeli markets, affecting various aspects of life in Jerusalem.

He explained that this economic distress may drive some employees to seek additional income sources, negatively impacting their ability to fully dedicate themselves to their duty to serve Al-Aqsa Mosque, which necessitates urgent intervention to provide direct financial support, alongside launching special programs and grants to educate their children in schools and universities, contributing to alleviating their burdens and enhancing their job stability, enabling them to continue their mission in protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque in the face of the occupation's attempts to undermine their role and weaken their presence within the mosque.

Al-Rifai emphasized that all these measures are part of a comprehensive Israeli policy aimed at imposing control over Al-Aqsa Mosque and altering its historical and legal status, warning of the dangers of continuing this approach on the identity of the mosque and its religious significance.

He called on Arab and Islamic countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Arab League to take urgent and effective action to stop these violations, protect the powers of the Islamic Waqf, and confront attempts to impose a new reality within Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He concluded by affirming that the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its total area of 144 dunams, is a place of worship unique to Muslims alone, and that the Jerusalem Waqf Administration, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Holy Sites, is the only legal authority entrusted with managing all its affairs and overseeing it.