Again on Wednesday, April 20, Israeli forces fired rubber bullets and sound grenades at Palestinians entrenched in the al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, the part of the city occupied and annexed by Israel. Strongly criticized by its allies in the region, the Jewish state keeps repeating it: it guarantees freedom of worship. So as a sign of appeasement, like every year, he announces that the esplanade of the Mosques will be closed to Jews during the last days of Ramadan. But this decision will not come into effect until Friday.
With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Sami Boukhelifa
During the last days of the month of Ramadan, Muslims practice the Itika “. This is a spiritual retreat. The Palestinians, them, are traditionally found in the al-Aqsa mosquefor prayers and invocations.
According to them, their ritual is disrupted each morning by ” the incursion on the esplanade of the Mosques of hundreds of Jewish settlers, protected by dozens of Israeli police “. This presence is experienced as a real provocation.
The esplanade accessible only to Muslims as a sign of appeasement
The esplanade of the Mosques is the third holiest place in Islam. It is called Temple Mount by the Jews, who also consider it a sacred place. But since 1967, and the conquest of East Jerusalem by Israel, the Esplanade of the Mosques has been subject to a status quo. Only Muslims can pray there.
” Israel is careful to preserve this status quo”, explains the president of the Hebrew state. As a sign of appeasement, from this Friday, and for ten days, only Muslims will be able to go to the esplanade of the Mosques.
►To read: Israel: strained relations with Jordan following clashes and shootings from Gaza