Islamonweb

Jerusalem – 2 June 2025
In a renewed wave of provocation, hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday morning under the heavy protection of Israeli occupation forces, coinciding with the Jewish festival of Shavuot.

According to Al Jazeera’s correspondent, the settlers entered through the Mughrabi Gate and conducted Talmudic rituals both inside the Old City and at Al-Aqsa’s gates and plazas. During these morning hours, Palestinian worshippers were barred from entering the mosque, allowing the settlers to roam freely and carry out what have been widely described as provocative tours under police protection.

Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks, commemorates the supposed revelation of the Torah to the Israelites and is associated with early harvests. It is observed seven weeks after Passover and is marked by Torah study, home and synagogue decorations with greenery, and the consumption of dairy products. Despite its religious significance, it is unique among Jewish festivals for not entailing a mandated public holiday, owing to its agricultural roots.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque has faced near-daily incursions—excluding Fridays and Saturdays—by settler groups, often under military escort. These actions are seen by Palestinians and observers as attempts to gradually impose temporal and spatial division on the sacred site, a move strongly rejected by the Muslim world.

Last week, Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, Director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, reiterated the centrality of the mosque to Muslim faith. “Jerusalem is the capital of Islam, and Al-Aqsa is a religious duty for every Muslim. What is happening now—from the repeated raids and the Judaization of historical landmarks to the Umayyad palaces—is a blatant affront to the entire Muslim ummah,” he said.

Al-Kiswani criticised the ongoing silence in the Muslim world, warning that “our bond with Al-Aqsa is one of creed. The Arab and Islamic silence today betrays this duty and poses a grave threat to the identity of the mosque and its guardians.”

He emphasised, “Al-Aqsa is an exclusive right of Muslims. It is indivisible and not open to partnership or negotiation. The responsibility to defend it lies with all—governments and peoples alike.”

Helmi Al-Balbisi, Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, squarely placed the blame on Arab regimes. “It is the silence of these regimes that has emboldened the occupation. These aggressions began in 1967 when Al-Aqsa was closed to worshippers, and no strong official reactions followed,” he said.

Al-Balbisi accused the regimes of submitting to the enemy’s dictates in exchange for safeguarding their own interests, while public support for Jerusalem remains strong despite suppression. “If the people were allowed, they would not hesitate to defend Al-Aqsa,” he added.

Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Ali Al-Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, attributed the silence to weakness and division. “The problem is not a lack of tools, but a lack of will. The Arab world holds powerful levers—diplomatic ties, oil supplies—but they remain idle due to the love of power and worldly gains,” he remarked.

He further questioned, “If resistance in Gaza is the excuse for inaction, what then explains the silence over Al-Quds, which sees no armed resistance at present?”

As Israeli incursions into the holy site intensify, Palestinian leaders and scholars are calling for immediate and unified action. The situation at Al-Aqsa, they warn, is not just a local matter, but a test of collective responsibility across the Muslim world.