Israeli occupation announced Saturday, September 16th, 2023, the immediate closure of the archaeological Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron to Palestinian worshippers.
The Muslim holy site will be open only to thousands of colonial Israeli settlers who will be given the green light to freely celebrate Jewish holidays, Hebrew New Year in particular. Meanwhile, Muslim worshippers will be banned from even approaching its vicinity.
During Jewish holidays, the Israeli occupation army seals off the mosque to Muslims for up to 10 days a year, in addition to other Periodic closures every few months, permitting settlers to hold concerts and perform their rituals.
All military checkpoints and electronic gates leading to the Ibrahimi Mosque will be shut down to prevent residents from crossing to reach the mosque for prayer. Palestinian shops and commercial facilities taking the road from the Kiryat Arba settlement up to the Brahimi Mosque will be also closed.
Al-Ibrahimi mosque is a longstanding flashpoint where the Israeli occupation has been attempting to settle its case in favour of Israeli settlers by imposing successive lockdowns, banning the Muslim call to prayer “Adhan”, and opening it wide for Jewish occasions.
These attempts are part of a religious war, through which Israeli occupation is trying to Judaize the sacred place and leave footprints of Jewish identity at the walls, squares and alleys of Al-Ibrahimi Mosque, wanted the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf.
In 1994, after 29 Palestinian worshippers were slaughtered inside the mosque in a heinous massacre carried out by the Jewish extremist settler, Baruch Goldstein, the Israeli occupation divided the mosque complex between Muslims and Jewish settlers. However, current Israel’s endeavours are pooling up to permanently expel Muslims away from the place.
“However, this won’t change the fact that it is purely a Muslim worship site that is under Israeli Occupation,” said Ghassan Al-Rajbi, Al-Ibrahimi Mosque director.
These days Israeli settlers are celebrating 16-day Jewish holidays, starting mid-September with the Islamic New Year, then Gedaliah Fast two days later, the Day of Atonement will be marked on September 25th, “Rosh Hashanah holiday” will be on September 30th, Hoshana Rabbah on October 6th, Hoshana Rabbah on October 6th, and finally ending on October 7th with the joy of the Torah holiday.
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