
PASSIA Timeline

At a meeting at the Allenby Bridge Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi tells his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi that “Israel must stop all of the moves that endanger the chance of peace with the Palestinians on the basis of a two-state solution,” calling on Israel to halt its provocative actions..Read More
The Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately stop their intrusions against Muslim cemeteries in the holy city. In a statement, the Council warns that Israeli measures in the city in general and in the Yusufiya and Bab Ar-Rahmeh cemeteries as well as the Umayyad..Read More
A statement by the PA Foreign Ministry says Palestine and Jordan are coordinating their efforts to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli escalations, including the continuous daily intrusions and the performance of Jewish religious rituals at the site, and calls on the international community, the UN Security Council, and UNESCO to..Read More
Palestinians expel a delegation of Emirati normalizers from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after they entered the Dome of the Rock prayer hall under police guard. PA Prime Minister Shtayyeh condemns the visit, saying “Al-Aqsa Mosque should be entered through the gate of its owners, not through the gate of the..Read More
The Jerusalem Magistrate court orders the eviction of four other Palestinian families – Skafi, Jaouni, Abu Hasna, and Al-Kurd – from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah to make way for settlers. The eviction lawsuits against were filed by the “Nahalat Shimon” company, which is owned by a US-based firm registered..Read More
Muslims are called upon to attend prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque to ward off attempts by Jewish extremists to change the status quo at the Muslim holy site. – Israel expands its surveillance of Al-Aqsa Mosque by installing more loudspeakers. The Waqf condemns the move as an attempt to undermine Jordan’s..Read More
Israeli municipality forces storm Silwan and hand demolition and municipality summon notices to several facilities, including the Al-Qaqaa Mosque, giving residents 21 days to object to the demolition decision. – Israeli forces break into the Muslim prayer area known as Bab Ar-Rahma inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, resigns from the UAE Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies over its statement endorsing normalization with Israel, which he calls “a stab in the back of Palestinians and Muslims, and a betrayal for Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.”
Israeli arsonists set fire to 13 Palestinian cars in Beit Safafa and write anti-Palestinian racist graffiti on walls in what is believed a “Price Tag” act. – Israeli authorities ban the PA Jerusalem governor, Adnan Ghaith, from entering the West Bank for a period of six months. – In a..Read More
Israeli forces arrest Engineer Bassam Al-Hallaq, official of the construction department of the Al-Aqsa Mosque for undertaking restoration work inside the Marwani Mosque on the compound. – In a joint statement, 13 Church leaders in Jerusalem warn that the Israeli court’s ruling on property of the Greek Orthodox Church at..Read More
PA Foreign Minister Riad Malki calls on the international community and UNESCO to put pressure on Israel to stop its illegal actions and attempts to deliberately sabotage Palestinian Christian and Muslim heritage, and to take actual steps to ensure the implementation of UNESCO resolutions on Palestine, including those on Al-Aqsa..Read More
After an almost 30 year long legal battle, the Jerusalem District Court rejects the appeal of the Samarin family of 18 and orders it to evict its property in Silwan, overlooking the Al-Aqsa Mosque, for the benefit of settlers. In addition, they are forced to pay $5,800 to the Jewish..Read More
Israeli police forces escort dozens of Jewish extremists into al-Aqsa Mosque where they performed provocative rituals while restrictions were tightened on Muslim worshipers entering the site. – On the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Israeli police arrest guard Abdel Karim Qa’oud as well as five women at the Bab Ar-Rahmeh prayer area.
The Islamic Waqf department warns that Israel is on the verge of changing the long-observed status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as a Muslim-only holy place. Ekrima Sabri, former Mufti of Jerusalem and current head of the Higher Islamic Council, says in a statement that the Waqf is losing..Read More
Israeli authorities issue orders banning over 20 East Jerusalem Palestinians from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif for periods ranging from 3-6 months. – The National Library of Israel, in coordination with the British-based Arcadia Fund, has announced a major initiative to open digital access to over 2,500 rare Islamic manuscripts and..Read More
The Islamic Waqf Council in Jerusalem lifts entry restrictions of the Aqsa Mosque for Palestinian worshippers after 69 days of suspension; the council took the decision after the slowed spread of coronavirus. Thousands of Palestinian worshipers perform the dawn prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Over 200 Jewish extremists also forced their..Read More
Exploratory drilling starts just outside the Old City for a controversial transportation project to extend the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast rail to the Dung Gate south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif to bring visitors from Ben Gurion Airport straight to the Wailing Wall. The project involves excavation of some 2.9 km..Read More
Israeli security services raid the house of Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, Al-Aqsa Mosque Imam, head of the Islamic Higher Committee, and member of the Islamic Waqf Council, and threaten him after he stated that Al-Aqsa Mosque would open its doors if Israeli forces allowed Jewish extremists to enter the holy site.
The Islamic Waqf Council decides to extend the entry restriction of Muslim worshipers to Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif during the holy month of Ramadan for the first time in its history in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus; prayers continued to be held in the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Islamic..Read More
While Israeli police put more restrictions on Palestinian worshipers, claiming it was a protective measure against coronavirus, scores of extremist Jews force their way into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and perform Talmudic rituals. – The Waqf announces an unprecedented decision to close Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif for Muslim worshippers amid the outbreak..Read More
In a statement during an official visit to Jordan, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay commends King Abdullah II for his constructive role as Custodian of the Holy Places in Jerusalem, as well as for his vision in aiming to ensure that Jerusalem remains a unifying city of peace and harmony for..Read More
Israeli police fine people handing out free food and violently disperse crowds during Friday morning prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif. – Former Likud MK Yehuda Glick is detained by Israeli police on the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif and removed from the holy site after failing to coordinate his “visit” with..Read More
Amid heavy police presence and tight restrictions on Palestinian worshipers, Israeli police allows 123 Jewish extremists into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the morning, where they perform Talmudic rituals. Two Palestinian worshipers are handed orders banning them from entering the holy site for four and six months respectively.
Israeli police turns back busloads of worshipers from the Galilee and the Triangle region on their way to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for Friday morning prayers. Israeli police turns back busloads of worshipers from the Galilee and the Triangle region on their way to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for Friday morning prayers...Read More
In East Jerusalem, Palestinian worshippers participate in the fourth Friday of the “Great Fajr” prayer campaign protesting against the Trump Administration’s “deal of the century”. At least 10 Palestinians are injured as Israeli forces attack and force them to leave Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, and three are injured.
Israeli forces shut off access to Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif further increasing tension in the city amid the proposed Trump Administration’s “deal of the century”. – Israeli intelligence services send hundreds of SMSs to Palestinians threatening them in case of “committing any breach of law” during prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram..Read More
Israeli police close all gates leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif after two Palestinians are arrested, allegedly attempting to carry out a stabbing attack against an Israeli police officer on the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif. – Jordan’s Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs warns against imposing Israeli “rules” in order to change..Read More
After “Great Fajr” prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinian worshippers, who march in protest against the increasing and provocative presence of Israeli extremists on the holy site. At least five Palestinians are wounded and three arrested. – Palestinians launched the “Great Fajr” prayer campaign which urges..Read More
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemns the Israeli police attacks on Palestinian worshipers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif as well as the Israeli authorities’ erection of wooden poles and metal structures at the southern wall of the holy site, stressing that the Islamic Waqf Council in Jerusalem is the..Read More
According to the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, 29,610 Jewish “extremists” entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Ash-Sharif throughout 2019, marking an “escalation in the frequency of violations” on the historical, religious and legal status quo of the Islamic holy place. According to Yareah, an Israeli organization that promotes Jewish visits to..Read More
Israeli authorities announce that Christians in the Gaza Strip will not be allowed to visit holy cities such as Bethlehem and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas. – The Jerusalem Post reports that Jewish worshipers are able to pray on the “Temple Mount” with what appears to be the tacit consent of..Read More
The legal battle between Ateret Cohanim and Greek Orthodox Church Patriarchate takes new turn as a Jerusalem District Court judge Tamar Bar-Asher grants the Patriarchate’s request to vacate the ruling that the three properties had been legally sold to Ateret Cohanim and orders that the case be reheard. The ruling..Read More
On orders issued by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Israeli forces close down several Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, claiming they were operated by the PA. Shut down are the offices of the Palestinian Directorate of Education located at the Dar Al-Aytam School in the Old City, where all classes were..Read More
A report issued by the Christian-Islamic Committee to Defend Jerusalem and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation shows that there have been 104 excavations under Jerusalem since 1967, including four under and around Al-Aqsa Mosque, five in Silwan, and five in the Old City. Some 57 tunnels and traces run under..Read More
Some 611 Israeli extremists enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in large consecutive groups, escorted by police. Some pray in the area of Bab Ar-Rahmeh, from where Palestinian worshippers are expelled, while others perform prayers outside Chain Gate and other doors of the compound. – Israeli forces detain the preacher of Al-Aqsa..Read More
Ein Hanya spring near Al-Walaja, which Israel turned into an official park two years ago, but which remained closed over the dispute whether entry fees should be charged and how to prevent Palestinians from entering it, is opened for Jews only for three days during the Sukkot holiday and patrolled..Read More
Arab48.com quotes Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan as saying that soon Israel could allow Jews to freely perform their prayers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and that “the situation in Jerusalem is heading towards regaining sovereignty and control over the place. We will reach our goal [opening Al-Aqsa gates for Jews]..Read More
Israeli forces remove Muslim worshipers from Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to facilitate tours for at least 120 Israeli extremists led by Israeli Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel and Likud Member of Knesset Yehuda Glick. – Jewish settler groups have reportedly issued a Rosh Hashana greeting card that depicts Al-Aqsa Mosque compound..Read More
Israeli intelligence summons Waqf director Azzam Khatib for questioning on the recent escalation at Al-Aqsa Mosque. – Scores of Israeli extremist led by MK Yehuda Glick tour Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under police protection. – Criticizing Israel’s provocative measures at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as mere attempt to change the historical..Read More
Israeli forces raid Burj Al-Laqlaq center and stadium in the Old City and remove all banners put up for the Jerusalem families’ league season. – Israeli police officers desecrate the Bab Ar-Rahmeh prayer area and confiscate some furniture items. – Jordan reprimands Israeli ambassador Amir Weissbrod over recent Al-Aqsa Mosque..Read More
Clashes between Muslim worshipers and Israeli police erupt over the entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound of numerous Jews during the first day of the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha, which this year coincides with the Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av (mourning the destruction of the two Jewish temples)...Read More
Israeli Minister of Internal Security Gilad Ardan issues an order extending the closure of Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem and prohibiting any cultural or political activities involving the PA. – Israeli forces storm the Yabous Cultural Center, prevent a memorial service for the Palestinian writer Subhi Ghosheh from taking place, assault..Read More
During a ceremony inaugurating the “Path of the Pilgrims” project of the Elad settler organization, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and President Trump’s Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt break open a new tunnel running under Silwan. Also attending the provocative event were casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife..Read More
Israel’s Foreign Ministry reprimands the Chilean ambassador to Israel after visiting Chilean President Sebastian Pinera is accompanied by Palestinian officials, including Jerusalem Affairs Minister Fadi Al-Hidmi, on a tour of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. – Some 59 Israeli settlers and 40 yeshiva students, escorted by the Israeli police, tour of..Read More
The Jerusalem Municipality approves the naming of streets in Silwan’s Batn Al-Hawa neighborhood after Jewish Rabbis, going against the recommendation of a professional panel who said “It is inappropriate to give Jewish street names in neighborhoods overwhelmingly populated by Arabs” and warned that the move will “create unnecessary tension. The..Read More
The leaders of a number of Christian denominations in Jerusalem issue an unusual joint statement criticizing the 10 June Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the alleged sale of Greek Orthodox properties to the Ateret Cohanim settler group and calling on Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin and the Israeli government..Read More
Ending a 14-year legal battle, the Supreme Court rejects the appeal of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and approves the disputed sale of three key assets belonging to the Greek Church (the Petra and Imperial hotels overlooking the Jaffa Gate plaza as well as Beit Azmiya in the Bab Al-Hutta neighborhood)..Read More
As some 120 Jews enter provokingly the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on one of the last days of Ramadan, hundreds of Palestinians protest, hurling stones and chairs at security forces. Israeli police force people to leave throwing teargas and stun grenades and lock the gates to the holy site, triggering new..Read More
Israeli forces storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after the Tarawih prayers and force out dozens of worshipers. Later, Israeli Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel heads a group of Israeli extremists in a provocative tour of the site. – In two separate incidents, Israeli forces detain the head of Palestinian Prisoners’..Read More
Dozens of Israeli settlers storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in large consecutive groups under the protection of heavily armed Israeli forces and perform Jewish religious prayers. – For the second day in a row, Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after the end of Tarawih prayer and force out all..Read More
The Israeli police commissioner in occupied Jerusalem, along with dozens of Jewish extremists and under armed protection by Israeli forces, tours the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the fourth day of the Jewish Pesach holiday. Throughout the day, some 237 Jews enter the holy site, some attempting to perform religious rituals..Read More
Israeli Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel, along with at least 170 Israeli extremists, enter the Al-Aqsa compound under armed security by Israeli forces, with some performing prayers and religious rituals. – Israeli forces detain Arafat Amro, head of the Islamic Museum for Archeology at Al-Aqsa Mosque, as he leaves the..Read More
Israeli settlers seal the door of the Sheikh Makki Mosque in the Old City with adhesive substance for the third time. – Far right wing MK Oren Hazan, accompanied by settlers and armed Israeli forces, storms Al-Wad Street in the Old City, provoking and cursing Palestinian residents and shop owners...Read More
After detaining and interrogating them for hours, Israeli police release three Palestinian mothers of prisoners, Khuloud Al-Awar, Najah Odeh and Iman Al-Awar, on condition of being banned from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for two weeks. A member of the Jerusalem Prisoners’ Affairs Committee, Alaa Haddad, was also released on..Read More
Israeli settlers spray-paint racist, anti-Arab slogans on the walls and doors of a home on Mount Scopus/French Hill, reading among others “revenge”, as well as vandalize 25 cars, puncturing their tires and spraying on them. – Israeli forces detain an elderly Palestinian man from inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after..Read More
An Israeli court issues a temporary order to close Bab Ar-Rahmeh prayer area, giving the Waqf, which rejects the decision saying it is an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, 60 days to appeal the decision. The Palestinian and Jordanian Foreign Ministries separately reject Israeli interference in the affairs..Read More
Accompanied by police, some 150 Jewish extremists participate in a “protest” tour of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound against recent Muslim prayers in the Bab Ar-Rahmeh complex. Two of them are arrested on suspicion of praying during the tour. – Assaf Fried, spokesman for an association of Temple Mount activist groups,..Read More
Attorney Avraham Moshe Segal from the right-wing Regavim organization sends a pre-petition warning letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit asking the government to take immediate action “to prevent the construction of the mosque and the continuous use by the Muslim Waqf and/or Muslim worshippers of the..Read More
Israeli forces assault dozens of worshipers, detain 17 of them, and seal off all of the Al-Aqsa Mosque gates, after a fire breakout at a nearby Israeli police station, which Israelis claim was caused by a firebomb thrown by Palestinians. – The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine..Read More
Israeli police detain 17-year-old Nasrallah Abu Diab after raiding his family home on the Old City. He is released the next day, but banned from entering Jerusalem City. – The Jerusalem Magistrates Court postpones its decision on the closure of the Bab Ar-Rahmeh building for one week in order for..Read More
Jewish settlers from the Ateret Cohanim group move into the Al-Alami family house in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter near the Haram Ash-Sharif compound. The building was at the center of an affair in late 2018, in which the PA convicted East Jerusalem resident Issam Akel of selling land to..Read More
Waqf Council member Adnan Husseini, a former PA Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, and a PLO Executive Committee member, is summoned for questioning by Israeli police. – Israel’ Public Prosecution demands the Israeli Magistrate Court to issue an order extending the closure period of the Bab Ar-Rahmeh prayer area.
Israeli authorities deliver an order to Waqf Council chairman, Sheikh Abdel Athim Salhab, banning him from entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for 40 consecutive days. – Waqf Security guards banned by Israel from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound call on Muslims in Jerusalem to refrain from entering the Al-Aqsa..Read More
Palestinians banned by Israeli authorities over the past few days from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound perform Friday prayers at the Lions Gate in rejection of their ban. – Two members of the Waqf Council, Hatem Abdul Qader, former Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, and Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, Chairman of..Read More
During predawn raids, Israeli authorities detain Waqf Council chairman, Sheikh Abdel-Azzim Salhab, and the Deputy Waqf Director in Jerusalem, Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat. They are later released, along with another four Palestinians, under the condition of being banned from entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for an entire week. – Waqf..Read More
Dozens of Palestinians hold zuhr (noon) and evening prayers at the Bab Ar-Rahmeh (Gate of Mercy) area inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in protest against the Israeli seal off of the area for Muslim worshipers and in order to demonstrate that Al-Aqsa Mosque compound symbolizes Palestinian faith and identity as..Read More
The Islamic Waqf Council places its own chain locks at the entrance of the Bab Ar-Rahmeh building and releases a statement (Decision #31/2019) in which it declared, inter alia, “all Israeli occupation authorities’ actions at the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially at Bab Al-Rahmah, null and void, and that these actions..Read More
Hours after sealing it, Israeli police forces remove locks and chains off Bab Ar-Rahmeh. – Israeli forces assault Palestinian worshipers following sunset prayers near the Bab Ar-Rahmeh area inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and detain at least 22 of them. Israeli forces surround the compound, completely preventing entry to worshipers...Read More
About 60 Israeli extremists enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound accompanied by rabbis and escorted by Israeli forces and provocatively tour the site. – Clashes erupt when Israeli forces re-seal Bab Ar-Rahmeh, after a group of Palestinian youths able to break the lock and opened the gate for worshipers. Israeli forces assault..Read More
Israeli forces evict the family of Hatem Abu Asab from their home of over 65 years in the Old City after Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that it was built on land that allegedly belongs to Israeli settler groups under the “Absentee Property Law”. Israeli forces physically assault family members and..Read More
The Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, which oversees the day-to-day management of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the auspices of the Jordanian government, announces the appointment of 7 new members to its Council, days after Jordan had announced that it would expand the council to 18, adding for the first time..Read More
Israeli Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan, signs an order to extend the closure of the Orient House as well as several other Palestinian institutions in occupied East Jerusalem, including the East Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce, the Higher Council for the Arab Tourism Industry and the Center for Palestinian Studies. –..Read More
Escorted by other Israeli settlers, Israeli ultra-Orthodox MK Yehuda Glick performs and films a wedding ritual inside the compound alongside his fiancée – in violation of standing rules. – Over 40 Israeli extremists enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under heavy protection from Israeli forces and perform religious rituals and prayers at..Read More
Some 39 of Israeli extremists tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while Israeli forces ban Waqf employees from entering the site. – Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport of Israel Miri Regev tours the streets of the Old City along with a camera crew, in order to shoot her political campaign..Read More
The Israeli High Court of Justice orders the government to justify the partial closure of sections of the “City of David National Park” in Silwan on Saturdays, holidays and evenings – unlike regulations for all other national parks in the country – in what critics say blocks Palestinian residents’ access..Read More
After Al-Aqsa guards refuse to allow an Israeli policeman to enter the Dome of the Rock wearing a kippah fearing he was going to perform religious rituals inside, Israeli police forces heavily deploy across the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, preventing hundreds of worshipers from performing prayers. Forces also close the doors..Read More
Israeli TV reports indicate that Israel’s new mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion intends to push for the city’s mosque loudspeakers to broadcast at a lower volume during the call to prayer and allow police to reduce the volume if they are deemed to be too loud. – Some 170 Israeli..Read More
An Israeli court rules that Jewish visitors storming Al-Aqsa Mosque can chant patriotic slogans as they do not count as religious prayers. The ruling came in favor of right-wing Jewish activist and lawyer Itamar Ben Gvir, who was briefly detained in 2015 for chanting “The people of Israel will live”..Read More
During a hearing on the police’s handling of three female Jewish settlers who were praying at Al-Aqsa, the Israeli Magistrate Court in Jerusalem determined that Jews have the same rights to pray at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque as Arabs and ruled that Jews can perform prayers there, which also..Read More
Israel removed all remaining intrusive security measures at Al-Aqsa. – A statement, signed by 40 rabbis and instigated by far-right leader Rabbi Dov Lior and Chief Rabbinate Judge Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, insists that going to the Al-Aqsa compound to advance Jewish prayers is important to facilitate the broader Zionist project..Read More
Employees of Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority escorted by Israeli forces raid the Bab Al-Rahma cemetery and install a sign forbidding burial in parts of the cemetery, claiming it as a national park. Israeli forces allowed hundreds of extremist Jews to intrude the compound barefoot. Israeli forces obstructed repeatedly the..Read More
Protests and clashes take place across Jerusalem, as Israel limits access for Palestinians to Al-Aqsa Mosque forcing thousands of worshippers to pray in the streets in Ras Al-Amud, Wadi Al-Joz, Bab Az-Zahra, Al-Musrara and the Old City under the watch of at least 1,300 heavily-armed police, who monitored and photographed..Read More
Dozens of Palestinians are injured during clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which remains closed to men under 50. Israeli forces raid Al-Qibli Mosque, where Muslims conduct Friday prayers, and close it with chains and steel barriers as right-wing Jews prepare to tour the compound. Jordan recalls its ambassador from Tel..Read More
Far-right Israeli MK Moshe Feiglin enters Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as Palestinians under 40 as well as Waqf employees are banned from entering. – Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel joins in calls for Israel to change the status quo by allowing Jews not only to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque compound but also..Read More
Right-wing Jewish activist Yehuda Glick is shot and injured at a rally outside the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem that followed after a conference focused on the reconstruction of a Jewish temple on top of the al-Aqsa Mosque. The alleged perpetrator, Mutaz Hijazi, is killed a few hours later..Read More
Deploying hundreds of forces throughout Jerusalem streets,Israeli authorities prevent men under the age of 50 from entering Al-Aqsa compound, forcing thousands of Palestinians to perform Friday prayers in the streets and alleyways in and around the Old City. After the prayer clashes break out in Wadi Al-Joz, Ras Al-Amud, Issawiyya..Read More
Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Compound ahead of expected visits by right-wing Israelis on the occasion of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, forcibly removing Palestinian worshipers, attacking some of them with clubs. This triggers clashes with worshipers throwing stones and soldiers firing tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets, injuring dozens..Read More
Israeli army radio reports that the Ministry of Tourism was working on a plan to allow Jews to enter Al-Aqsa compound through the Cotton Merchants Gate, in addition to the Moroccan Gate which is already used as an entrance for non-Muslims. The announcement is harshly condemned by Palestinians. – Hundreds..Read More
Israel dismantles wooden access ramp, erected in August, to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound that would have increased access for non-Muslims but angered Jordan. – The Appeals Committee of the National Planning and Building Council put the plan for a national park on the slopes of Mt. Scopus on hold until the..Read More
Israeli police impose restrictions on Palestinian worshipers entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for the third Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, only allowing men over 50 and women to enter the compound. – During clashes atAl-Aqsa compound at least 110 Palestinians are injured, including Waqf Director Sheikh Salhab and Jerusalem Governor..Read More
Israeli officers assault five Palestinian women at Al-Aqsa Mosque while over 30 Israeli rightists tour the compound, and another Israeli group perform Jewish prayers near the Golden Gate close. In addition, supporters of two-right wing Jewish groups try to take photos, but are confronted by female worshipers.
Israeli troops and police raid Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and forcefully disperse Palestinian worshipers and protesters ahead of a Knesset debate on a plan to annex the compound. – A Knesset debate called by right-wingers under MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) discusses for the first ever time whether Israel should wrest control..Read More
Some 50 Palestinians spend the night inside Al-Aqsa compound in protest of an Israeli Knesset debate, scheduled for the next day, over a plan to place the holy site under full Israeli jurisdiction, and in reaction to reports that Israeli rightist organizations plan to raise Israeli flags inside the compound.
Israeli forces escort 26 Jews onto Al-Aqsa compound to perform religious rituals near the Golden Gate in order to mark the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, assaulting a number of Palestinian worshipers which triggered clashes. – In a separate incident, 35 members of Israeli intelligence, escorted by police, enter Al-Aqsa compound..Read More
Dozens of Israeli rightists enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under heavy police guard, touring the area and performing religious rituals. Head of the Islamic Higher Commission, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, warns that incursions by Jewish extremists confirm Israeli ambitions to create a situation like in Hebron, while the PA Foreign Ministry condemn..Read More
Palestinians clash with Israeli forces after Jewish rightists enter Al-Aqsa compound. Israeli police use pepper spray, arrest several worshippers, close all gates leading to the mosque and prevent worshipers under 50 from entering. – Israeli police prevents some 16 busloads of Muslim worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa compound amid fears of..Read More
Israeli forces raid the Bab Hutta neighborhood and detain 11 Palestinians for questioning on charges of incitement and throwing rocks. They are released on bail to house arrest and are banned from Al-Aqsa compound for 15 days. Four other Palestinians from the Old City are also arrested while three others..Read More
During an event hosted by the right-wing ‘Americans for a Safe Israel’, MK Moshe Feiglin reportedly promises that he “will not let Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu alone” until the issue of the right of Jews to pray on Al-Aqsa compound is taken care of. Earlier in the month, Feiglin had called..Read More
As a group of around 40 Jewish settlers accompanied by police enter Al-Aqsa compound through the Mughrabi Gate and tour the site to commemorate the eve of “Jerusalem Day,” special Israeli forces stormed the compound and assaulted worshipers. – Speaking to The Times of Israel news site, WJM mayor Bir..Read More
Israeli police limits men’s access to Al-Aqsa Mosque to Jerusalem ID card holders over the age of 50 and deploys reinforcements in Jerusalem, fearing protests at Al-Aqsa in the wake of a prisoner’s death. – An Israeli special force unit wearing Palestinian scarves infiltrate Al-Issawiya and confront youth, injuring at..Read More
A group of settlers enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and perform religious rituals under heavy Israeli guard. – Sheikh Najih Bkeirat, director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, warns that Israel forces are tightening restrictions on the compound and have seized the keys to the Moroccan Gate to allow access to extremist Jewish..Read More
The Islamic-Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites condemns the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by settlers wearing priestly garments and performing Talmudic rituals. The Commission warns that the excavation works around and beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque are aimed at building a temple on its ruins.
Arye Eldad introduces a new bill to the Knesset which suggests dividing prayer times at the Al-Aqsa Mosque “for all three religions.” – Israeli police ban a group of the Bnei Akiva youth movement from calling out “The Temple Mount is in our hands!” or hold up signs with the..Read More
Right-wing MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union party) submits to the Knesset a draft bill that calls for allowing Jews freedom to worship in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on specific days, while Muslims would be free to worship at other days, a situation similar to the practice at the Ibrahimi Mosque in..Read More
Eight Israelis and a group of tourists, escorted by over 40 Israeli soldiers, tour the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Later, another 22 Israeli women follow and clash with Palestinian female worshippers. Israeli forces detain three Palestinians. Afterwards, police blocks entry to people under 40 years of age.
Jordan condemns an Israeli plan to demolish the Mughrabi access ramp to Al-Aqsa Mosque with Waqf and Islamic Affairs Minister Abdul Salam Abbadi stating: “Jerusalem’s [Waqf] administration is the party with legal custody and sovereignty over Al-Haram Al-Sharif. Israel has no right to replace the bridge unilaterally.”
The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage says Israel was “accelerating their steps to destroy the area of Umayyad palaces” near the southern wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque and is “carrying out excavations in the area at night, especially in one of the water wells in the area, which extends under..Read More
The Israeli GLZ radio reports that City Plan no. 12472 (construction of the Mughrabi Ramp leading to the Al-Aqsa compound from the Wailing Wall Plaza has been finally approved, though in a limited version allowing the construction of a new bridge on pillars, with minimum amount of diggings and change..Read More
The Al-Aqsa Institute for Waqf and Heritage issues a statement warning of the repeated calls by extremist Jewish groups to collectively break into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem, and to “practice their religious Jewish rituals related to the construction of the so-called third temple”.
At least 300,000 Palestinian worshippers attend Laylat Al-Qader at Al-Aqsa Mosque, believed to be the night of the year when the Prophet Mohammed received the first verses of the Qur’an from the Angel Gabriel. Throughout the month of Ramadan, Israeli forces have prevented Palestinians from reaching the Mosque and interrupted..Read More
Dozens of Palestinians gather at the Al-Aqsa Mosque to prevent members of the Chabad movement from entering it after they were asked “conquer and Judaize the holiest place on earth, which was being desecrated in such a disgraceful and shameful way.” Jerusalem residents under 50 are banned from entering the..Read More
The “Ohel Yitzhak” synagogue is opened in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, located between the Cotton Merchants Gate and the Heavy Chain Gate, only 80 m from the Haram Ash-Sharif, creating outrage among Muslim, Christian and Greek Orthodox residents and religious officials, who set up an emergency meeting to condemn..Read More
Israeli forces impose further regulations on the entry of Palestinian worshippers to Jerusalem for Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque: men from 16 to 50 and women from 16 to 45 must get prior permission from the Israeli authorities. Children under 16 can only enter Jerusalem with their parents, if their..Read More
WJM officials say the number of Muslim worshippers allowed to enter the Haram Ash-Sharif compound during Ramadan may have to be limited because of an Israel Antiquities Authority warning that the Solomon’s Stables area might collapse under the weight of the expected hundreds of thousands of worshippers. Waqf and Jordanian..Read More
Ha’aretz reports that a Jordanian delegation has presented plans for constructing a fifth minaret at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to the Israeli Police. Meanwhile, the rightwing Chai Vakayam movement sends letters to govt. agencies charging that the move is illegal as the Israeli Police is not authorized to make decisions..Read More
At the request of the Committee to Prevent the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, Israel’s High Court of Justice issues a temporary injunction prohibiting the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Public Security Min., and the PM from authorizing the Waqf to remove tons of soil from the Haram Ash-Sharif..Read More
WJM police chief Maj.-Gen. Ilan Franco bans Jewish visitors from entering the Al-Aqsa compound to mark Tisha B’Av, which commemorates the destruction of the two temples, due to the fear that their presence could spark violent clashes. Some 30 Jewish extremists who nevertheless try to enter are turned back. The..Read More
In reversion of a long-held halakhic rulings, the Yesha Rabbis Council, rabbis Dov Lior, Daniel Shiloh and Nahum Rabinowitz -issues a ruling, saying Jews can visit the Al-Aqsa compound because “the doubts have been removed” about the location of the original temples, so there was no more danger that the..Read More
Israeli police removes three Jewish visitors belonging to the Temple Mount Faithful and the Chai Vekayam movement from Al-Aqsa compound, after they begin to pray and bow down. The incident occurred during a visit by a activists led by Yehuda Etzion, the leader of. Etzion and two other members of..Read More
Israeli police prevents Likud MK Yehiel Hazan – head of the Yesha lobby in the Knesset – from entering the ‘Temple Mount’/Al-Aqsa compound due to “security considerations.” – The Waqf publishes a statement in the local media, calling on Palestinians and Muslims in Israel to come to Jerusalem and “protect..Read More
In response to Public Security Min. Hanegbi’s comments a day earlier, Waqf director Adnan Husseini says that non-Muslims are not welcome on the Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, telling Israel Radio that “The Arab standpoint, the Waqf standpoint, is that there is no change in the decision of not allowing non-Muslims to enter..Read More
The High Court of Justice hears a Temple Mount Faithful petition, demanding that Jews be allowed to pray at the “Temple Mount,” and saying it is racist to allow Arabs to pray at the site, while prohibiting Jews. (The Waqf has denied access to non-Muslims since Oct. 2000, when riots..Read More
Jerusalem police arrest a Jew, wearing a keffiyeh, who tries to infiltrate prayers at Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, where some 150,000 Muslim worshippers hold the first Friday prayer of Ramadan. Over 2,000 Israeli police are deployed in the city as Palestinian worshippers are given free access to the site for the first..Read More
During the night, MK Michael Kleiner is permitted by police to enter for a brief period Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, 22 months after the site was declared off-limits to non-Muslims. Kleiner, who leads a group of demonstrators to the Western Wall, states: “The Temple Mount, the holiest site for Judaism, has been..Read More
On Channel 2 TV, Jerusalem Police Chief Cmdr. Mickey Levy says, “We are making every effort, in our own quiet way, to reopen the Temple Mount to Jews again.” Al-Haram Ash-Sharif was closed to non-Muslims soon after the outbreak of the Intifada. The Waqf remains opposed to any plans to..Read More
Israeli forces arrest Mufti Sheikh Ekrima Sabri and interrogate him at the Russian Compound Detention Center for four hours about his recent participation in an Intifada conference in Beirut, where he also met with Hizbullah Sec.-Gen. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, and about his Friday sermon in which he was quoted as..Read More
The Israeli High Court of Justice rejects a petition by the Temple Mount Faithful, asking to be allowed to pray on the Haram Ash-Sharif on Passover, to avoid more bloodshed. (The compound is closed to non-Muslims since the beginning of the Intifada). – Israeli PM Sharon expresses his support of..Read More
Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the Mufti of Jerusalem, issues a fatwa or religious edict forbidding non-Muslims from controlling the holy site of the Al-Aqsa compound: “Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, including the ground the mosques are built on, that beneath them, as well as the space above them, are all (belonging to) the Islamic..Read More
Israeli Min. Michael Melchior says there is a serious threat that Jewish extremists might try to destroy the Haram Ash-Sharif, saying “There is nothing more sensitive than the Temple Mount. It can be the gate to heaven, but it can also be the gate to hell.” -Two former security officers..Read More
Anticipating protests following Friday prayers, Israel closes the WBGS, allows plainclothes PA police to deploy in the Haram Ash-Sharif to form a cordon to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones. They and Waqf staff successfully succeed in keeping calm, but when a few Palestinians throw rocks, Israeli forces open immediately fire,..Read More
After Friday prayers, Israeli forces use excessive force including teargas and gunfire against Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque from rooftops and other locations around the compound. Ensuing clashes leave five Palestinians dead and over 200 injured. Israeli forces deny ambulances entry to the compound and install makeshift checkpoints outside Palestinian..Read More
In the early morning, Likud opposition leader Ariel Sharon makes a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, under maximum security and with thousands of forces deployed in and around the Old City to prevent any clashes with Palestinians, which were nevertheless triggered by the visit and left dozens of Palestinians..Read More
Likud Chairman Ariel Sharon invites the entire Likud faction to his planned tour tomorrow of the ‘Temple Mount.’ Israeli police inform Waqf officials that Sharon has requested to visit the ‘Temple Mount’ the next day; the Waqf warns that such a visit would be viewed as a political provocation and..Read More
Ha’aretz reports that the committee appointed by the Chief Rabbinate Council to examine the idea of building a synagogue on the Temple Mount met for the first time; committee members are Rabbis Shaar Yishuv Hacohen, Shmuel Eliyahu, Yehuda Deri, Shlomo Chelouche, Yosef Gliksburg and Moshe Rauchberger.
PM Barak permits the Waqf to continue its tiling work on about 200 meters of the eastern wall of the Al-Aqsa compound but says archaeologists from the Antiquities Authority must be allowed onto the site to prevent the work from expanding. -Temple Mount Faithful petition the Israeli High Court..Read More
Archeologists of the ‘Committee to Prevent the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount’ demand that PM Barak and Atty. Gen. Elyakim Rubinstein order an immediate halt to the construction work by the Waqf on the Al-Aqsa compound. – Ma’ariv reports that 82 MKs, mayors, authors, and academics have..Read More
Israeli attorney general Elyakim Rubinstein ends the dispute over construction work on the Al-Aqsa compound, ruling that the WJM could not issue a stop-work order against the Islamic Waqf. -Israeli police allows some members of the extremist Gershon Solomon group to enter the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
While PM Barak threatens with firm measures if renovation works in the prayer site of Al-Musalah Al-Marawani (the old mosque under Al-Aqsa) continue without Israeli approval, PLC Speaker Ahmad Qrei’ warns that any Israeli interference in the construction of the emergency door will lead to a new wave of violence...Read More
In a speech inaugurating an archaeological site – ‘Hulda Gates’ – adjacent to the Al-Aqsa compound PM Barak says that Jerusalem will be a symbol of coexistence, adding “under Israeli sovereignty”, which was not included in the original text handed out earlier to journalists. WJM Mayor Ehud Olmert states on..Read More
Israeli police prevent the expansion of a window opened up by the Waqf to provide light and air for basement rooms under the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The police interference sparks Muslim protests. (The extremist Temple Mount Faithful group has petitioned the High Court of Justice to immediately halt the ‘unlicensed’ construction..Read More
Three Jewish extremists of the outlawed Kach group are arrested in the night after scuffling with Palestinians and throwing pamphlets on the grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque that call on Jews to “expel the strangers from the Temple Mount.” The day after the assault, the Waqf decides to close the Haram..Read More
Israeli police prevent Jewish extremists from the Temple Mount Faithful group from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to launch the reconstruction of the Third Jewish Temple. During the rally led by Gershon Solomon, the group boasts that “the Arab occupation of the Temple Mount is finished forever” and tries to unload..Read More
Israeli PM Netanyahu announces that he will discuss in his cabinet’s session the restoration works carried out by the Islamic Waqf in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing the renovation work as “unlicensed building”. – Israeli Minister of Transportation, Yitzhak Levi, from the National Religious Party calls for allowing the Jews to..Read More
Israeli police closed East Jerusalem streets for traffic while some 25,000 Jewish Israelis and their supporters hold their annual “Jerusalem March” to celebrate “united” Jerusalem. Some 100 members of the extremist Jewish group Temple Mount Faithful meet in “David’s Village” (Silwan) and dedicate the corner stone for the “Third Temple”...Read More
During protests triggered by Jewish Temple Mount Faithful extremists trying to lay the cornerstone for a Jewish temple on Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, Israeli forces kill 22 Palestinians and injure over 100 others. (Israeli judge Ezra Kama later – in July 1991 – rules that the Israeli police, not the Palestinians, provoked..Read More
After a 13-month trial in the Jerusalem District Court, 15 Jewish underground defendants are found guilty, three are convicted of murder, 12 of attempted murder, manslaughter, attempted sabotage, illegal possession and transport of arms and explosives, damage to military property, membership of a terrorist organization, conspiracy to blow up the..Read More
The Waqf issue a statement protesting the disrespectful behavior of Israeli policemen at the Haram Ash-Sharif, including eating, lounging, playing radios loudly, and mistreating worshipers. It includes a set of demands calling for all the affairs of the Muslim holy places to be placed in the hands of the Higher..Read More
Ben Shoshan and Yehuda Etzion – members of the Jewish underground, led by Rabbi Moshe Levinger, and co-founders of the pro-settlement Gush Emunim movement, enter the compound with explosives and hand grenades plotting to blow up the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock but are apprehended by security..Read More
Muslim leaders call for a protest gathering at the Dome of Rock against last year’s Easter attack by an Israeli soldier. Israeli police use teargas to disperse demonstration near Damascus Gate and prevent some 50 Jewish nationalists, led by Meir Kahane, from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. They then hold prayers..Read More
Rabbi Meir Kahane of the Gush Emunim attempts to blow up Al-Aqsa with explosives. 120 kg of high explosives and scores of bombs were accidentally discovered only 2 minutes before donation at a distance of 50 m from Al-Aqsa. It was a Friday, meaning a day when tens of thousands..Read More
Jewish extremist Gershon Solomon tries to lead a group of Temple Mount Faithful followers onto Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, but is stopped by Palestinian guards.
High Court of Justice decides it has no jurisdiction in matters connected with the right and claims of different religious groups and will thus not interfere with the government’s position prohibiting Jewish prayer on the Mount.
Members of the right-wing Temple Mount Faithful group, led by Gershon Solomon, forcibly enter Al-Aqsa compound, triggering clashes during which several Muslim worshippers suffered injuries.
A court convicts Rohan of arson at Al-Aqsa Mosque but declares him not criminally liable by reason of insanity.
In the course of a second stage of excavations under Al-Haram Ash-Sharif, Israeli occupation authorities seize the Fakhriyya corner on the southwestern side of the compound.
The Islamic Higher Council convenes and issues a statement protesting the Israeli authorities’ confiscation of the keys of Bab Al-Mughrabi, the seizing of Tankazziyya School, and the continued excavations under Al-Aqsa Mosque. They further decide to close the gates of Al-Aqsa compound temporarily to any foreign visitor.
UN Security Council Resolution 271 (1969) condemns the act of destruction and profanation of Al-Aqsa.
Rohan identifying himself as a member of the “Church of God” tells the court he acted as the Lord’s “emissary” in accordance with the Book of Zechariah. The site is closed to non-Muslims for two months.
Denis Michael Rohan, an Australian Christian-Zionist, Rohan sets fire inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, burning its 12th Century pulpit or Nurreddin Zinki ‘minbar’ (where the imam stands to deliver a sermon). Angry demonstrations break out throughout the Arab world.
The first attempt (by about 25 Jews of the Zionist Bitar group) to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque is made, breaking into the compound and reciting verses from the Torah.
Israeli authorities seize the traditional Tankaziyya School at Silsila Gate and convert it into an Israeli Police station; the building is still used as military base today.
Responding to an order against the Police Minister Shlomo Hillel, State Attorney Zvi Bar Niv explains that Jews should not be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount because “premature prayer” by Jews on the Temple Mount would raise grave security and international political problems. The plaintiff is the Faithful..Read More
Chief Rabbi of the Israeli Army Shlomo Goren leads 50 armed extremists onto Al-Haram Ash-Sharif to conduct prayers there, calling it “a holy commandment” for Jews.
A screen was attached to the pavement in front of Al-Buraq Wall in preparation for Yom Kippur which unsettled the Muslim Guardian and also blocked public thoroughfare. Edward Keith-Roach, Deputy District Commissioner of Jerusalem ordered the removal of the screen.