JERUSALEM: Former Jerusalem Grand Mufti Sheikh Ekrima Sabri has warned that Israel plans to impose strict restrictions on Muslim worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan. He described the measures as violations of religious freedom and said hundreds of West Bank Palestinians already face permit denials. Young men from East Jerusalem have also received exclusion orders ahead of the holy month.
Sabri explained that Israeli authorities have barred dozens of young men from entering the mosque compound and will maintain restrictions for worshippers traveling from the occupied West Bank. He said this will significantly reduce the number of attendees compared with previous years, undermining freedom of worship and disrupting Ramadan observances. Temporary exclusion orders for up to six months have already affected hundreds of East Jerusalem residents.
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The former mufti criticized the recent appointment of Maj. Gen. Avshalom Peled as police commander in East Jerusalem, linking it to the right-wing government’s long-standing agenda on Al-Aqsa. He accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of advancing policies such as public entries, open prayers, ritual horns, and prostration by Israeli extremists. Sabri said these moves threaten the Islamic Waqf’s authority over the mosque.
He also condemned the ongoing demolition of Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem, calling it a racist, unjust, and illegal policy inherited from colonial rule. Sabri emphasized that these actions reflect broader attempts to assert Israeli sovereignty over the sacred site and diminish Muslim religious rights.
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Urging urgent action, Sabri appealed to Arab and Islamic nations to support Palestinians in Jerusalem. He called on Muslim leaders to protect Al-Aqsa, defend the Islamic Waqf, and prevent systematic attempts to weaken Islamic authority over the holy compound.