Newsletters
The Palestinian authorities condemned on Monday the entry of extremist Jewish settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, describing their ritual of blowing the Shofar, a ceremonial horn, as “extremely dangerous” and an attempt to alter the historical and legal status of the site.
In a written statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the settlers’ actions were described as a clear breach of the existing status quo at Al-Aqsa. The ministry noted that the Shofar, a horn considered sacred in Judaism, was played in the mosque courtyard in violation of established regulations.
“The blowing of the horn in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa is an extremely dangerous step,” the statement said. “This ritual continues the religious ceremonies carried out by Jewish settlers and aims to change the current historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa.”
The Palestinian authorities described the ritual as reinforcing attempts to divide Al-Aqsa in time and space, highlighting that it constitutes a clear violation of international law.
A call was issued to the United Nations and all countries to take deterrent measures to protect Muslim and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem and to compel the Israeli government to halt its unilateral illegal actions.
Dozens of extremist Jewish settlers, under the protection of Israeli police, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the morning. Video footage shared on social media showed a settler blowing the Shofar, typically made from a horn and considered sacred in Judaism.
Other settlers were seen performing religious rituals while prostrating on the ground. Israeli police reportedly prevented Palestinians and Muslims from entering the mosque during the raid.
According to the status quo at Al-Aqsa, only Muslims are permitted to pray at the site, while individuals from other faiths are allowed only to visit. Observers noted that Israeli police increasingly allowed Jewish settlers to carry out provocative religious rituals during their raids at Al-Aqsa.
2 min read
