Al-Aqsa Mosque: A daily battleground for influence

As Palestinians call for a greater presence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound amidst Israeli occupation forces’ increased military presence in the Muslim holy site, many fail to understand the historical significance of the smaller mosques contained within the area.

Bab Al-Rahma Mosque, translated as ‘Gate of Mercy Mosque’, on the eastern wall of the Al-Aqsa compound, was once used as a gate leading outside of the compound, where trade and commerce was prevalent. It became a mosque after the gate was sealed in 1187 AD during the rulership of Salah Al-Din.

The Muslim leader who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders sealed the gate to encourage trade to go through the main entrance while enhancing security of the compound in case of future invasions.

Israel’s occupation authorities closed the mosque in 2003 alleging the site was being used by members of the outlawed Islamic Movement, Northern Branch, for political activities, an allegation denied by the Jordanian Waqf, the Islamic religious endowment responsible for the administration and management of the entirety of the Al-Aqsa compound according to international law.

Sixteen years later, in 2019, the mosque was reopened after young Palestinian men broke the chains locking the door.

The site has become a battle of influence with consistent attacks, intimidation and breakage of international law occurring in this section of the Al-Aqsa compound since that day.

M.S., a Palestinian imam who spoke on condition of anonymity, says: “They close it for reasons. They say that this is a place where illegal things happened, so they stopped it from 2003, and they keep it like this till February 2019.”

“They put chains. No one can enter. After this, the young men broke this chain and opened it and changed it into a place to pray. It wasn’t like this before.”

READ: Long live the Palestinians, those wonderful people

“It was used as offices, as a place to memorise the Quran, as a place to give food.”

Israeli occupation soldiers have been reported to come in the mosque on a daily basis with their shoes to take pictures of the events taking place inside.

Under international law the entirety of the Al-Aqsa compound is under the supervision and exclusive authority of the Jordanian Waqf (religious endowment), which means Israel is not legally permitted to attempt to control parts of the compound. Unfortunately, as we have seen repeatedly over the past decades, Israel’s abuses of international laws garner little attention from the so-called ‘gatekeepers’ of these conventions.

In 2019, when the mosque first reopened, Sheikh Abdel-Azeem Salhab, head of the waqf, and his deputy were arrested after they joined Palestinians during prayers at the site.

As a result of Israel’s attacks, the Jordanian Waqf has not provided funds to repair, improve or maintain Bab Al-Rahma Mosque for fear of the repercussions.

“In this area, there are no funds, all of it is volunteered,” M.S. explains.

As a result, money for the mosque is crowdfunded and run by local Palestinians who do their best to maintain the area, while occupying forces continue to hinder efforts to repair or improve the decaying mosque.

“Whenever any change takes place, any maintenance, fixing the electricity, the speakers, anything, they [occupation forces] destroy it,” M.S. explains.

“They say nothing should happen except with their permission and they don’t give permission for that, even to clean the carpet, to clean the yards outside, if they catch anyone doing anything, they get him and take him out of the mosque.”

Timeline: Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa

The Al-Aqsa compound is made up of a number of mosques, with prayers held in congregation across the entire area during the five daily prayers. Earlier this year, however, Israel raided Al-Qibli Mosque and cut the speaker system, meaning the prayers could not be heard across the compound.

Dr Aziz, who travelled to the Al-Aqsa compound in 2021, says:  “There were police officers or Israeli soldiers coming in every night […] they took pictures of the electrical panel box in Bab Al-Rahma.”

“From what I gathered in Bab Al-Rahma the occupation would constantly cut the electrical wires, the speaker wires,” he explained. Even the barrier used to separate the men’s area from the women’s was taken away.

The mosque remains a battleground for influence, Palestinians fear that if they do not pray and maintain a presence in the mosque Israel will occupy it and transform it into a synagogue to appease far-right members of the current coalition government.

So-called ‘Temple Mount’ activists openly declare that ascension to the compound and praying at the site is central in their strategy of establishing Israeli control over it and serves as the first step to building the ‘Third Temple’ over Al-Aqsa.

Members of Israel’s Knesset and hardline settlers have been seen praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on numerous occasions, while increasing their calls for a greater Jewish presence at the Muslim site.

“If it’s full with Muslims it will not be easy to take it,” Imam M.S. says. “If it’s empty it’s easy to take.” “Why do we think that they will take this part and start with this part specifically? Because this part […] they call it the Golden Gate, and they believe that’s where the messiah will enter from.”

Ir Amim, an Israeli NGO whose activities include monitoring and exposing Israeli government actions in Jerusalem, have indicated that Israeli police are working with temple activists to allow Jewish worship at Al-Aqsa.

Ir Amim notes: “Given the deepening ties between the movement and the right-wing Israeli political establishment, there are rising suspicions in the Palestinian community that the state intends to establish a synagogue at the site.

“As a result, there is increasing pressure among some Palestinians to consolidate the Muslim presence at Bab Al-Rahma in order to curtail any potential plans.”

Occupation forces have made it more difficult for Muslim worshippers to access Bab Al-Rahma Mosque since the start of the genocide in Gaza, using emergency laws to arrest and harass Muslims entering the area.

The site remains at the forefront of the quest for dominance between Palestinians and Muslims who are trying to protect their rights under international law and occupation forces and far-right activists who are undermining it.

READ: Brazil’s Solomon’s Temple and its ties with the dispute over Jerusalem

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.