Jerusalem Governorate Warns of Jewish Rituals Near Al-Aqsa's Golden Gate

The Governorate of Jerusalem has issued a warning regarding escalating activities by Jewish groups attempting to conduct prayers and religious rituals near the Golden Gate (Bab al-Rahma) area. The Governorate views these practices as a prelude to establishing a permanent site for Jewish prayers and rituals in the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

These groups are reportedly seeking to solidify their presence through repeated gatherings and prayers, promoting narratives that claim special significance for the site among Jews, with some accounts suggesting its importance surpasses that of the Western Wall. This comes after repeated instances of Jewish rituals near the Bab al-Rahma cemetery, adjacent to the eastern wall of Al-Aqsa. In recent weeks, the area has seen group prayers and the blowing of the shofar, coinciding with Jewish holidays.

The Governorate cautioned that the increasing and regular performance of these rituals is part of an effort to impose a new reality around Al-Aqsa Mosque, aiming to transform the area adjacent to the Golden Gate into a fixed location for Jewish prayers and rituals, rather than limiting them to specific occasions. They consider the continuation of these activities a violation of the site's Islamic identity and an attack on the established historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa and its surroundings. The Governorate warned that solidifying and expanding these practices could lead to the imposition of new realities on the ground.

Bab al-Rahma is part of the eastern wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the Bab al-Rahma cemetery located outside this wall. The site has witnessed Jewish activities and rituals in recent years, prompting repeated Palestinian warnings about their implications for the existing situation around the mosque.