DayofPal– Israeli media has unveiled a controversial new settlement plan that threatens the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, West Bank, aiming to drastically alter the mosque’s status.
Supported by Israeli ministers and Knesset members, the proposal emerges amid the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and at a time when global attention is fixed on the results of the US elections, further intensifying the already volatile situation.
The Hebrew news outlet Zman Israel has revealed that the plan will reframe the Ibrahimi Mosque as a settler “national heritage site.” This would involve the appropriation of the mosque, transforming it into a space resembling the Buraq Wall Plaza in Jerusalem.
The initiative has gained support from prominent US figures, including officials linked to President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
The head of the Kiryat Arba settlement council near Hebron said ministers in Netanyahu’s government promised major changes for settlers. These include allowing the expanded rituals time inside the mosque for settlers.
He criticized existing arrangements imposed after the 1994 massacre at the site, which divided the mosque between Muslims and settlers. “How can Arabs pray inside while we stand outside under the open sky?” he asked.
Thousands of settlers gathered inside the mosque last Saturday for celebrations attended by Israeli ministers. Far-right figures like Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and Orit Strock were also present. Discussions during the event focused on altering the mosque’s current status.
Likud Knesset member Avihai Boaron called Trump’s election a “golden opportunity” to seize the mosque from Islamic authorities. He advocated for turning the site into a modern prayer facility to address “overcrowding issues.”
Another Knesset member, Tzvi Sukkot, said settlers currently use 35% of the mosque’s space for prayers, saying this as unacceptable and vowed to expand their access to the entire Muslim site throughout the day.
Zman Israel warned that these politically charged moves could ignite severe tensions between Muslims and Jews as the Ibrahimi Mosque is among the most sensitive religious sites in the region.
The plan, backed by Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich, aligns with a broader push for annexing the West Bank by 2025, and the mosque would serve as a central focus in this initiative.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=59089
