Dr. Hassan Khater: Al-Aqsa is in much greater danger than it was before under the right-wing government and the likes of Ben Gvir

Dr. Muhammad Jad Allah: The responsibility that the Palestinians currently bear has doubled after the Arabs and Muslims abandoned them.

Abdul Malik Dahmash: The Islamic world must fulfill its duty to protect Al-Aqsa and not be satisfied with limited reactions

Dr. Abdul Rahim Jamous: Imposing the temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa between Jews and Muslims is a crime according to international law

Jawdat Manna: The responsibility of defense lies with the Arab and Islamic nations, not the Palestinians alone

Fadl Tahboub: What is required now is to activate Palestinian diplomacy on the level of the Arab and Islamic nations

The Palestinians, along with all Arabs and Muslims, view with suspicion and great concern the suspicious movements led by extremists and racists in Israel, led by the so-called Ben Gvir, to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque and his attempts to establish facts on the ground that differ from all previous violations, and to exploit the criminal war on the Gaza Strip, as well as in the West Bank, to decide the fate of Al-Aqsa Mosque so that it is divided spatially and temporally, similar to what the occupying state did in the Ibrahimi Mosque after the horrific massacre committed against worshippers by the criminal Baruch Goldstein in the early nineties of the last century.

In the face of these real fears of any foolish step that the racist right in Israel might take, the question arises about the means to confront such plans and intentions? Can the Palestinians alone carry out this task? And does not Al-Aqsa Mosque belong to the Arab and Islamic nations, and does it not bear a great responsibility to stand up to Israeli arrogance in violating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as it is the first Qiblah of Muslims and the third holiest site.

Introduction to the spatial division of Al-Aqsa

Dr. Hassan Khater, Director of the International Jerusalem Center, said that in the presence of this government, and specifically the presence of figures like Minister Ben Gvir, the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is in much greater danger than it was before, pointing to Ben Gvir’s clear and explicit announcement that he intends to build a synagogue inside the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He added: Although this matter is not new information, what is new and dangerous about it is that there is a senior Israeli official who pledged that he will implement this step, which he considered an actual start in what is known as the spatial or geographical division of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, because trying to find a foothold for settlers inside the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is a very dangerous beginning that could result in major destruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and a complete explosion of the situation in the Palestinian territories, and perhaps in the region.

Ways to confront the dangers facing Al-Aqsa Mosque

Regarding the ways to confront these blatant attempts, Khater said: “There are several levels of confrontation:

The first level: relates to the people of Jerusalem and Palestinian citizens in general in all Palestinian territories, including the territories occupied in 1948, as they and everyone who is able must intensify their journey to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. This step constitutes the basic safety valve for Al-Aqsa Mosque, because the presence of worshipers in Al-Aqsa is the greatest deterrent to settlers from implementing such plans, and the emptiness of Al-Aqsa Mosque of worshipers is one of the greatest temptations to embark on such plans, and the issue of travelling must remain an open issue, and not restricted to a specific time or occasion.

The second level, according to Khater, is that there should be an official Palestinian political movement at the level of the Islamic world to take practical measures and steps that prevent the occupation authorities from touching the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and to raise this issue in a large and broad manner in order to ensure the safety of Al-Aqsa Mosque, its courtyards and buildings on a permanent basis, and that there should be practical and tangible steps from the Arab and Islamic political levels to protect the first of the two Qiblahs and the place of the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the third of the two Holy Mosques. This is possible if there is political will, as we have a diplomatic fleet and many embassies spread everywhere, but they do not serve this issue in the correct way.

He added: “The third level is represented by the movement of Islamic institutions such as Al-Azhar, the Muslim World League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Muslim scholars. When we say Muslim scholars, we mean all the famous and well-known scholars in the Islamic world. They must move clearly and explicitly to highlight the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Islamic nation, and to clarify the status of Al-Aqsa and its importance in the Islamic religion, and that it is part of the Muslim faith and the necessity of defending it by all available means and various media outlets. This movement should also not be limited to repelling this danger alone, because the dangers to Al-Aqsa are very many, and this movement must be continuous and ongoing as long as Al-Aqsa is under occupation, because the absence of Al-Aqsa from the awareness of the Islamic nation is what brought Al-Aqsa Mosque to this level of loss and neglect. Therefore, the status of Al-Aqsa must be restored in the Islamic awareness in the correct manner, and by Muslim scholars so that it becomes the issue of the nation and not just a Palestinian issue linked to the conflict with the occupation, and confined to the people of Jerusalem, as is the case these days.”

Khater stressed that these measures, from his point of view, are necessary first aid, without which the condition of Al-Aqsa Mosque could deteriorate to something worse than it is today, pointing out that the real treatment for Al-Aqsa is to liberate it from the occupation and protect it completely from the defilement of these settlers and extremists.

Great readiness to sacrifice in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque

In turn, the Jerusalemite political analyst Dr. Muhammad Jad Allah said that the Palestinians have faced, for decades, attempts at threats and continuous attacks on the holy sites in innovative and effective ways, which enabled them to stand up to the continuous attacks and incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, pointing out that the responsibility borne by the Palestinian people at the present time has doubled after the Arabs and Muslims abandoned their role in protecting these places.

He pointed out that the Palestinians in Jerusalem are showing great readiness to make sacrifices in order to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, stressing that this confrontation will not be in the interest of the aggressors, no matter how strong they are.

He explained that the Palestinian people are still adhering to their identity and strength, are creative in defending their sanctities, and will not allow their Arab, Palestinian, or Islamic character to be changed.

Jad Allah stressed that despite the great challenges, the steadfastness of the people of Jerusalem and their defense of their holy sites will continue forever.

Temporal and spatial division is not new.

For his part, lawyer Abdul Malik Dahamshe, former MP for the Islamic Movement and former head of the United Arab List in Israel, said that the temporal and spatial division of the mosque is not a new matter, but rather dates back to the division of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron after the massacre in the mosque during the month of Ramadan, when a settler killed a number of worshippers, stressing that the Islamic world did not fulfill its duty towards this issue.

He added: "Attempts to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque have met with strong objections from Muslims, as Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered to be of greater importance to Muslims than the Ibrahimi Mosque. He explained that Muslims inside Palestine are doing everything in their power to prevent any attempts to change the status quo in the mosque."

He also pointed out that the Israeli government claims that it does not want to change anything in Al-Aqsa Mosque, while the situation on the ground indicates the opposite, with gradual changes taking place in Al-Aqsa over the years. He called on Muslims around the world to take action and raise their voices to stop these changes and protect Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Mobilizing Arab and Islamic public opinion

He stressed the need to mobilize Arab and Islamic public opinion to confront attempts to divide the mosque and prevent changing the status quo there. He also called on governments and official bodies, including the Jordanian Awqaf, to take protest steps to pressure the Israeli authorities, stressing the importance of the Islamic world fulfilling its duty to protect Al-Aqsa and not being satisfied with limited reactions.

Dahmash stressed that maintaining the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque requires a joint effort from all parties in the Arab and Islamic world, and urged everyone to work to protect Islamic holy sites and prevent their division or changing their features in any way.

International pressure and prevention movement to confront Israeli measures

In turn, Dr. Abdul Rahim Jamous, member of the Palestinian National Council and head of the Administrative Council of the General Union of Palestinian Jurists, denounced the Israeli attacks targeting the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, pointing out that these repeated attacks and plans to impose policies of the so-called temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa between Jews and Muslims are a crime from the perspective of international law.

He said: "The occupation authorities have no right to tamper with the legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem in terms of holy sites and residents, or to take any action or change that targets the previous status and disrupts the legal status of the holy sites and the Holy City in particular, and all the occupied Palestinian territories in general."

Jamous believed that everything the occupation is planning contradicts the obligations imposed by the Fourth Geneva Conventions on the occupation authorities towards the occupied territories and their inhabitants, and towards their cultural, religious, civilizational and historical identity.

He stressed the need for international pressure and deterrence to confront Israeli measures and plans, as well as the need for Arab and Islamic action to support the struggle of our people and the steadfastness of our people in the city of Jerusalem, in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and all the Islamic and Christian holy sites targeted by the occupation.

Jamous stressed that the Islamic nation is required today to take a firm and serious stand at the peoples’ and official levels and to activate its political, diplomatic and economic capabilities in order to prevent the occupation’s policies from being imposed on Al-Aqsa Mosque and to topple its plans and projects, pointing out that it has the ability, if it takes effective and strong positions in coordination with the various international powers, headed by the biased United States of America, that practical measures will be taken by the Arab and Islamic countries in confronting Israel, the occupying state, and in confronting everyone who supports it in such measures.

International Campaign to Defend Jerusalem

The coordinator of the International Campaign to Defend Jerusalem, Jawdat Manna, said: The campaign views with seriousness Israel’s attempts to impose a temporal and spatial division in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, pointing out that the responsibility lies not only with the Palestinians, but also with the Arab and Islamic nations to curb Israel’s steps aimed at Judaizing the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and its violation of international legitimacy resolutions regarding Jerusalem as an occupied city, including the Islamic and Christian holy sites, including the Oslo Accords and the Jordanian-Israeli peace agreement, which emphasizes the Hashemite guardianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and is supported by a Palestinian-Jordanian agreement that supports this guardianship.

Manaa pointed out that Palestine and Jordan bear primary responsibility, given that Jerusalem is not subject to Israeli sovereignty, including the Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Morocco also bears a responsibility no less important than Jordan and Palestine, as the Moroccan king is the head of the Jerusalem Committee, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference is included in the list of those responsible for Islamic holy sites.

He said: "By following up on these developments by the International Campaign to Defend Jerusalem, we decided to hold an international legal conference on Jerusalem to discuss possible legal means to confront Israel's desperate attempts to control the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Manaa added: “I learned from the media about a clear Jordanian position regarding these Israeli moves, expressed by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, in which he warned Israel against taking steps that would affect the historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque. We support this position, and we demand that Jordan not hesitate to initiate legal procedures against Israel’s practices in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in its capacity as the custodian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.”

International Public Relations Strategy

Manaa believed that the Jordanian legal movement requires Arab and Islamic support and providing everything Jordan and Palestine need in order to do so in the best possible way, explaining that there are requirements to confront Israel in Jerusalem, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, including developing a public relations strategy at the international level to support Jordan and Palestine.

He said that the media, within the framework of the public relations strategy, is of great importance to win this battle.

He pointed out that when it comes to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the requirements of confrontation may go beyond that to include diplomatic activity, which may affect diplomatic relations between some Arab countries that have relations with Israel and freeze these relations.

Manaa stressed that Israel's continued provocation of the Islamic world requires the formation of a broad Arab-Islamic front that puts the strategic security balance in its true place. Therefore, it is necessary to awaken Pakistan and strengthen relations with Russia, China and other countries, including pressure on the United States of America to stop Israel and its far-right government at its borders.

He said: We know that the United Nations is being subjected to a broad attack by Israel and its allies in light of the ongoing war of extermination in occupied Palestine in an attempt to change the demographic situation in occupied Palestine by expelling the Palestinian people from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, which was subjected to comprehensive destruction by American weapons.

He added: "There is no doubt that these Israeli practices hinder the worshipers' access to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the Palestinian people throughout occupied Palestine, including our people in the areas occupied since 1948, must enhance their capabilities to be continuously present in Al-Aqsa to disrupt the settlers' incursions with the support of the Israeli occupation army for their daily provocations."

Manaa concluded by saying: We must not neglect the International Criminal Court and urge it to pressure to issue arrest warrants for Galant and Netanyahu, the mastermind of the war and aggression against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Islamic Conference did not offer anything

Jerusalemite political analyst Fadl Tahboub said: Al-Aqsa Mosque is not the responsibility of the Palestinians alone, but before the world, Jordan and Palestine are directly responsible for the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. It belongs to the Islamic nation and is part of the Islamic religion, and preserving it is a national duty for every Muslim.

He pointed out that the Islamic Conference did not provide anything to pressure for the preservation of Al-Aqsa Mosque, noting the importance of taking a position on the issue of Al-Aqsa, as boycotting Israel will lead to results, and boycotting the United States as well, considering it the primary supporter of Israel.

He added: The Arab League is absent, stressing that what is required now is a process of activating Palestinian diplomacy at the level of the Arab and Islamic nation.

Tahboub explained that what is happening today in Palestine is the result of joint work between the United States and Israel, so both parties must be approached to stop this provocation, noting that a part of Israeli society is afraid of the attack on Al-Aqsa, and the possibility that it will lead to major reactions.