Al-Aqsa and the disaster of division: Will the occupation legalise this chaos?

Those monitoring the situation in Jerusalem and the escalations led by the Israeli occupation in Al-Aqsa Mosque since mid-August will certainly have noticed the beginnings of a de facto temporal division of the mosque between Muslim Palestinians and Jewish settlers. There have also been a number of measures taken that suggest the potential for creating legal justification for the mosque’s division.

This raises questions of whether the restrictive measures that have been put in place over the last month will become laws imposed on the Palestinians that will prevent them from entering the mosque, or will only allow them entry in accordance with the occupation’s conditions. These conditions will certainly aim to ensure that no clashes occur between worshippers and protectors and between the occupation police and settlers.

An indication of the occupation’s intention to change the legal status quo in Al-Aqsa is the latest statement made by the Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan. He describes recent developments as “dangerous” and claims they” require the reconsideration of the arrangements in place at the mosque”.

“Muslim troublemakers cannot be allowed to turn the holy site into a battleground,” he added.

In this context, observers believe that Erdan’s statement carries serious implications, as his description of Muslim worshippers as “troublemakers” legitimises their punishment in accordance with the law. In addition to this, his comments that they were turning the mosque into a “battlefield” marks the emergence of a new discourse that carries the intention of “stopping the fighting” by means of strict legal procedures.

Therefore, it is expected for there to be a new group of laws passed by the occupation that target the Murabitoun, protectors of the mosque, as well as visitors and the young individuals engaging in clashes and confronting the settler raids. According to Haaretz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for an emergency meeting to discuss accelerating the passing of the “stone throwers” law and to determine appropriate legislation in such cases.

This acceleration has come nearly a year after the Israeli Knesset proposed the law. This was followed by discussions between the Israeli Supreme Court and the General Prosecutor’s Office, which aimed to determine a minimum penalty for stone throwing. This will probably include prison time of 10-20 years and administrative detention, according to Voice of Israel radio.

Prohibition of sit-ins

In addition to imposing a penalty to deter Muslim youth from engaging in confrontations, the occupation is also striving to empty Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Murabitoun by outlawing them as a “banned group” and prohibiting them from entry at specific times. According to a previous report by Al-Khaleej Online last month, dozens of members of the Murabitoun and Murabitat groups were denied entry to the mosque and long-term ban orders were issued against many others.

In this regard, the deputy leader of the Islamic Movement in the Occupied Territories, Kamal Al-Khatib, told Al-Khaleej Online that Israel’s persecution of the Murabitoun “is no longer a secret”. He added that this group cannot be legally banned because a protector is “any Muslim who enters Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Al-Khatib expects that the harassment and restrictions of the Murabitoun will “backfire and cause an increase in unity and gatherings in Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards.”

Restricted visits

As has been the case over the past month, it is expected that restrictions on visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque will continue, and that entry may even be prohibited before the afternoon or even during Jewish holidays. However, the occupation is expected to gradually pass laws that will force visitors and worshippers to hand in their identification cards before entering Al-Aqsa for limited time periods.

Everyone monitoring the situation of Jerusalemites knows that the issue of identity cards is considered very sensitive for them, as it is the only card that ensures them residency in their city. If their cards are lost or revoked, they will be deported to the West Bank or abroad. Therefore, forcing them to hand over their ID cards to the police before entering the mosque is a measure that aims to intimidate worshippers and visitors and will discourage youth from participating in confrontations out of fear of being expelled from the city.

It is worth noting that the occupation’s intention of dividing Al-Aqsa is not a new matter. It was officially proposed to the Knesset in 2012. According to the International Jerusalem Foundation, former MK Aryeh Eldad presented the proposal to the Knesset three years ago and it was later adopted by Miri Regev, a current minister in Netanyahu’s government.

According to the situation assessment report published by the institution in which it commented on current events, one of the likely scenarios is the entrenchment of the current status quo that allows the occupation to achieve its goals regarding the temporal division of Al-Aqsa. All done without causing a significant stir in order to avoid the political consequences of explicitly declaring the division.

Translated from Al-Khaleej Online, 18 September 2015.

Palestinians inspect the damage at the entrance of Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City following clashes with Israeli riot police on September 15, 2015. Palestinians and Israeli police clashed at Al-Aqsa mosque compound for a three day during the Jewish new year. Images by Anadolu.

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