Jerusalem/ PNN
Wissal Abu Aliya - Warnings continue about the occupation's plans at Al-Aqsa Mosque, including the establishment of a cable car, an elevator, and a wooden bridge, as part of efforts to Judaize Al-Aqsa and evict its original inhabitants from the holy city.
In this context, Khalil Tafkaji, director of the Cartography Department at the Arab Studies Society, highlighted two key issues regarding settlement and Judaization at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The first is the cable car project, which aims to facilitate settlement and connect western and eastern Jerusalem, affecting the Old City and its landscape. He noted that new settlements are part of the occupation's plans, relying on a contested historical narrative. Additionally, the "Kedem Compound" promotes this narrative to tourists, linking it to religious Judaization efforts. Tafkaji explained that during the cable car ride, an Israeli guide narrates the significance of the Holy Basin and the Kidron Valley, highlighting the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. This area is tied to an ancient narrative about the Messiah and the alleged Temple's location at the Dome of the Rock. He emphasized that the occupation aims to promote this story to tourists, framing it as part of a route that connects various historical sites while continuing land confiscation and restricting Palestinian construction in the area.
Tafkaji discussed the second issue concerning the elevator, which connects the Jewish Quarter to the Buraq Wall established after the 1967 destruction of the Maghrebi Quarter. This area, surrounded by hills, was developed to increase settlers and tourists. The elevator is part of ongoing Judaization efforts, aimed at solidifying the presence of settlers in what used to be several Islamic Arab neighborhoods, now transformed into the Jewish Quarter, highlighting broader efforts to alter the demographic landscape.
In a special interview with PNN, Jerusalem Governor's advisor Marouf Al-Rifai stated that there are several settlement projects within Al-Aqsa Mosque, known as the Holy Basin, initiated by settlement organizations supported by Netanyahu's government and the occupying municipality. These projects aim to facilitate extremist incursions into Al-Aqsa, including the cable car, wooden bridge, and elevator. Such initiatives have been announced and referenced by political leaders and ministers in the occupation government, including Ben Gvir and Smotrich, with Amit Halevi proposing a bill in the Knesset to divide Al-Aqsa, designating the Qibli Mosque for Muslims and allocating the remaining 144 dunams as a synagogue for Jews.
Al-Rifai explained that these projects pose significant risks, as the cable car aims to facilitate the entry of three thousand settlers into Al-Aqsa per hour. He noted that since the beginning of the ongoing assault on Gaza on October 7, access to Bab al-Rahma prayer area has been prohibited for Palestinians, and the area is closed. He highlighted that all incursions during morning and evening periods target Bab al-Rahma, the eastern area of the Dome of the Rock, indicating that there is likely an unannounced synagogue in this region. He pointed out the rituals performed by settlers, particularly by Ben Gvir, including collective prostrations, while noting that one Talmudic ritual involving animal sacrifices has yet to be executed.
Al-Rifai warned that Al-Aqsa is facing significant dangers amid the world's focus on the war in Gaza and Lebanon, as the occupation government strives to impose a new reality specifically at Al-Aqsa and generally in Jerusalem, altering the historical and legal status of the occupied city. He pointed out that only Jerusalemites are present in the city due to the military restrictions and measures imposed by the occupation, with 18 checkpoints surrounding it, effectively besieging both the city and Al-Aqsa. Even Christians are barred from accessing their holy sites.
Al-Rifai emphasized the legal and ethical responsibilities of Arab countries, particularly those with diplomatic ties to the occupation, to pressure it to cease its attacks on Jerusalem and its holy sites. He criticized U.S. support for the occupation, noting that it enables ongoing crimes against Palestinians. He urged Arab and Islamic nations to halt normalization with the occupation and condition diplomatic relations on an end to settlement and Judaization efforts. Since October 7, over 29 large settlement projects have been announced, aimed at displacing Palestinians and replacing them with settlers in neighborhoods like Silwan, Wadi al-Joz, and Sheikh Jarrah. He called for urgent action to prevent the division of Al-Aqsa, similar to what happened at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
