Israel just transferred the administrative authorities over Hebron’s iconic Ibrahimi Mosque from Palestinian to Israeli hands. The move is the first step in Judaizing Muslim places of worship in Palestine.
Amid the Jewish holiday season, Palestinians across the occupied territory pay the price, as settlers increase their attacks and the military and police restrict Palestinian access to holy places.
Amit Halevi, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, has proposed dividing the Al-Aqsa Mosque between Jews and Muslims. Such plans can no longer be disregarded as extremist fantasies but increasingly represent mainstream Israeli politics.
Itamar Ben Gvir wants to normalize Jewish worship at the Al-Aqsa compound as a precursor to full Israeli control over the holy site, much like Baruch Goldstein’ massacre at the Ibrahimi Mosque brought full Israeli control over that part of Hebron.
It is hardly farfetched to assume that the al-Aqsa compound might suffer the same fate — where a particularly violent set of events would facilitate further Israeli takeover.
Settler violence in Hebron exposes the true colonial face of the Zionist project, and the world cannot sit idly by while it continues.
Rabbi Michael Davis sought to further his Arabic studies by visiting his teacher in Hebron. She took him to the armed Jewish-Israeli settler encampment in the heart of the Palestinian city. “Despite the show of military force, the hospitality of my hosts reminded me: an outstretched hand provides greater security than all the guns in the world.”
Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL will always cut Zionists a break on the standards he applies to others. Today he said of New Zealand mosque killings, “This act of violence really doesn’t have a precedent as far as we know, murdering people in a mosque.” He conveniently forgot the slaughter of 29 Muslims in Palestine by a Jewish settler in 1994.