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Israel: Jewish settlers called on to take animals to sacrifice in Al-Aqsa Mosque

March 30, 2023 at 11:22 am

Palestinians leave after performing first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Masjid Al-Aqsa under heavy measures of Israeli forces in Jerusalem [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu] Agency )

An Israeli settler group has called on illegal Jewish settlers to take sacrificial animals to Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday for slaughter during next week’s Passover holiday. The extremist Temple Mount movement asked followers to gather at the entrance of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the eve of the Jewish holiday, which starts on 5 April.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam and an area where non-Muslim prayers and rituals are forbidden by long-standing agreement. The director of the mosque, Sheikh Omar Al Kiswani, told the New Arab that the settler group’s announcement is “very dangerous”.

He said that the Muslim authorities at the Noble Sanctuary of Al Aqsa will stop settlers from going ahead with their plan, and will not allow any settler to enter the compound with live animals.

“This is what we are telling the occupation authorities,” he added. “We demand that it reins in its extremist settlers.”

Scores of Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the early hours of Wednesday morning under heavy police protection. Such incursions are frequent, even though observant Jews are not supposed to enter what they call the Temple Mount in case they stand within the unknown location of the “holy of holies” by mistake whilst in a state of ritual impurity.

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