OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Palestinian activists and figures in Occupied Jerusalem are calling for an increased Palestinian presence at Aqsa Mosque as the Jewish holiday season approaches, alongside the launch of the “Aqsa Call” solidarity campaign.
The calls come amid Palestinian warnings of increased settler incursions into the mosque compound, attempts to perform religious rituals inside its courtyards, and efforts to impose new realities at the holy site.
Calls for increased presence at Aqsa
Palestinian figures and groups in Occupied Jerusalem urged Palestinians to intensify their presence at Aqsa Mosque, particularly during Jewish holidays and periods when settler incursions are expected.
They stressed the need to confront calls by groups advocating the construction of a so-called “Temple” to organize mass incursions into the Mosque compound.
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, begins on Saturday, while groups advocating the construction of a “Temple” are preparing for a mass incursion into Aqsa Mosque on Sunday. The groups have also called for permission to blow the shofar inside the Mosque compound.
The Jewish holiday season runs through October 2 and includes Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Palestinians fear the holidays will be used to intensify incursions and religious rituals inside Aqsa Mosque.
“Aqsa Call” campaign
The “Aqsa Call” campaign is set to launch at 9 p.m. Wednesday under the slogan, “Aqsa Cries Out… Its Call Grows Louder Again!”
The campaign coincides with the beginning of the Jewish holiday season and comes amid warnings of increased incursions into Aqsa Mosque and attempts to impose new realities at the site.
Using the hashtags #AqsaCall and #AqsaCriesOut, the initiative seeks to keep the issue of Aqsa Mosque in the public consciousness and highlight its religious and historical significance, as well as the violations and challenges it faces.
Organizers said Aqsa’s call for help has never been a passing cry, but one that grows stronger as plans targeting the Mosque and violations against it increase.
Three major holidays during the incursion season
The campaign will highlight developments at Aqsa during the current period and raise awareness of attempts to Judaize the Mosque, particularly during the second half of September.
It will focus on three major Jewish holidays associated with increased incursions into the site: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.
The campaign also seeks to raise awareness about how groups advocating the construction of a “Temple” use Jewish holidays to increase incursions into Aqsa and perform religious rituals inside the compound as part of efforts to alter the site’s historical and legal status quo.
Restrictions on access to Aqsa
The campaign comes amid continued Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to Aqsa Mosque, reinforcing calls for Palestinians to increase their presence in its courtyards during the holiday period.
Organizers say maintaining a strong Palestinian presence at the Mosque is essential to confronting settler incursions and attempts to impose new realities at the site.
The “Aqsa Call” campaign also seeks to keep Aqsa Mosque at the forefront of Arab and Muslim public consciousness and highlight its religious and historical importance amid continuing violations and challenges.
