JERUSALEM – Israeli authorities announced this week that there will be no additional restrictions on Muslims’ freedom of worship during the holy month of Ramadan, even as the continuing war in Gaza raises security concerns in and around Jerusalem. did. However, they warned that online incitement was on the rise, along with fake news reports that contradicted what was actually happening on the ground.
“Most of the people who come to pray want to come to pray quietly,” Mayor Mirit Ben, head of public relations for the Israel Police, told reporters at a briefing this week.
But she added that there are always a small number of people, usually young people, trying to destabilize the area and “get our attention.” Mayor Ben stressed that, as in previous years, and as on all other religious holidays in the Holy Land, the Israeli Police have reinforced their forces to maintain order and reduce the possibility of terrorism.
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This photo taken from the Mount of Olives on July 30, 2020, shows the Israeli flag flying over Jerusalem, with the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock in the background. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson Tal Heinrich told Fox News Digital that Israel is a country that “welcomes all faiths and takes great pride in defending freedom of religion and worship.”
She said it is important to note that “in the last several hundred years, the only time since the founding of Israel in 1948 has been religious freedom and access to holy sites across our country.” Ta.
“In the coming weeks, three of the world’s major religions will celebrate festivals, with Muslims celebrating Ramadan, Christians celebrating Easter, and Jews celebrating Purim,” Heinrich said. he said.
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk and attend additional prayers, traditionally in Jerusalem’s Old Jerusalem, home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. Hundreds of thousands of worshipers gather in the city. .
The sensitive site, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, or Sanctuary, and which also includes the Dome of the Rock, sits atop the area Jews call the Temple Mount. A Jewish temple once stood here. It is considered the holiest site for Jews.
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Muslims pray on the first night of Ramadan in the precincts of Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, March 11, 2024. (Sayed Kuaq/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
Every year during Ramadan, tensions in Jerusalem reach a boiling point, with police swarming the 0.35 square mile Old City to keep calm. Israel has imposed restrictions on certain individuals it deems to be a security risk, with some fearing they will launch violent attacks against Jews who continue to pray just below the Western Wall. They are prevented from entering sacred places.
The war in Gaza, sparked by the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack that left 1,200 people brutally murdered and another 240 taken hostage, is an effort by extremist Jewish groups to put pressure on Israeli authorities. Like, it only added to the tension. Increase access to sacred precincts.
“As they do every year, the Israeli Police have made many arrangements and are very ready to make this holiday a reality and allow our Muslim friends to practice their religious freedom during the holiday. ” Mayor Ben said.
Israeli police stand guard in a Muslim neighborhood in Jerusalem on March 11, 2024, the first day of Ramadan. (Amir Levi/Getty Images)
“Hundreds of police officers are currently deployed throughout the Old City to ensure that thousands of worshipers can safely reach the premises and practice their prayers,” she said, adding that they will be unable to attend Friday prayers and worship services. He added that the level of preparedness was even higher. She described the police’s role in ensuring freedom of worship for all religions that consider Jerusalem sacred.
“This month’s Islamic holidays also include Jewish and Christian holidays, and in this respect we are preparing to honor these holidays as well,” Mayor Benn said.
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Palestinian Muslims pray outside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem on March 11, 2024. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)
Official Israeli sources say there are currently no restrictions on Israeli Muslims wishing to enter the al-Aqsa compound, although Palestinians must pass through checkpoints from the West Bank to Jerusalem. , men are limited to those over 55 years old, and women are limited to those over 50 years old. Boys under the age of 10 are allowed.
Prime Minister Heinrich said hundreds of thousands of Muslims are expected to arrive in Jerusalem’s Old City for Friday prayers during Ramadan, and that “the vast majority will peacefully practice prayers and holiday traditions.” “There have been attempts by Muslims,” he said. Terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad aim to “incite the region.”
“They are already calling for attacks on Israelis and Jews during Ramadan, and they are already planning to attack us,” she said, adding that Israeli forces have thwarted suicide bombings in the past week. He pointed out that it was successful.
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The Israeli police spokesperson also commented on the surge in online incitement and fake news reports shared in Arabic-language media since October 7.
“This is part of what we believe Hamas is doing to expand the war and bring in Israeli Arabs and others who are not part of this war,” she said. . “They are working tirelessly on the agitation and we are working tirelessly to find the people who are agitating.”
