Israel’s normalization may divide Al-Aqsa mosque: analysts | Palestine News

A statement incorporated into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain’s standardization agreements with Israel, negotiated by the United States, may lead to the division of the Al-Aqsa complex because it violates the status quo, analysts say.

According to a report by the NGO Terrestrial Jerusalem (TJ), the statements mark a “sea change in the status quo” and have “far-reaching and potentially explosive ramifications.”

Under the status quo asserted in 1967, only Muslims can pray inside al-Haram al-Sharif, also known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, which consists of 14 hectares (35 acres).

Non-Muslims can visit the place, but they cannot pray. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed this status quo in a formal statement in 2015.

However, a clause included in recent agreements between Israel and the Arab Gulf states indicates that this may no longer be the case.

According to the joint statement between the US, Israel and the United Arab Emirates published on August 13 by US President Donald Trump: “As stated in the Vision of Peace, all Muslims who Come in peace you can visit and pray in the Al-Aqsa mosque. And the other holy places in Jerusalem should remain open for peaceful worshipers of all religions. “

But Israel defines Al-Aqsa as the structure of a mosque, much like the statement, the TJ report clarified.

“According to Israel [and apparently to the United States], anything on the Mount other than the mosque structure is defined as ‘one of Jerusalem’s other holy places’ and is open to prayer by all, including Jews, “the report said.

“This choice of terminology is not random or a misstep, and cannot [be] seen as anything but an intentional, if surreptitious, attempt to leave the door wide open for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, radically changing the status quo. “

The same statement was repeated in the agreement with Bahrain, announced on Friday.

Joint statement by the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel pic.twitter.com/xMquRkGtpM

– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020

Khaled Zabarqa, a Palestinian lawyer specializing in Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem affairs, told Al Jazeera that the statement “says very clearly that the mosque is not under Muslim sovereignty.”

“When the United Arab Emirates accepted such a clause, they agreed and gave the green light to Israeli sovereignty over the Al-Aqsa mosque,” Zabarqa said.

“It is a clear and massive violation of the international and legal status quo of the Al-Aqsa mosque [conceived] after the 1967 occupation of Jerusalem, which says that everything within the walls is in Jordanian custody. “

‘This is not innocent’

Palestinians have long been concerned about possible attempts to divide the holy mosque, as was the case with the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron.

Over the years, there has been a growing temple movement, primarily led by “the nationalist Jewish religious extreme right” seeking to change the status quo, the TJ report said.

Some call for Jewish prayer in the sacred precinct, while others aim to build the Third Temple on the ruins of the Dome of the Rock, which according to Messianic belief would mark the beginning of the coming of the Messiah.

The Israeli NGO Ir Amim has published numerous reports over the years warning about this once marginal group, which today is part of the political and religious mainstream and benefits from close ties with the Israeli authorities.

These activists believe that allowing Jewish prayer on the premises and dividing the holy site between Muslims and Jews would be a step towards asserting sovereignty and ultimately achieving their ultimate goal of building the temple.

In recent years, an increasing number of Jewish visitors have attempted to pray at the site in violation of the status quo.

Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli geopolitics lawyer from Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera that he is “deeply concerned about what is happening.”

“What we are witnessing in Jerusalem is the rise of religious factions that use religion as a weapon. We are on a path that will lead us to conflagration.

“We know that these clauses are crafted together, every word in a joint team of the United States and Israel. The transition from the term Haram al-Sharif to the term Al-Aqsa Mosque is not an accident,” Seidemann said.

‘Written with malice’

A more brazen statement was included in Trump’s “deal of the century” plan for the Middle East, unveiled in late January with Netanyahu at the White House.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has been primarily responsible for the proposal, and Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, has been linked to the drafting of the agreement.

The plan stipulated that “the status quo on the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif should be continued”, but in the next sentence it also said: “People of all religions should be able to pray on the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif “. “

The clause was met with controversy, prompting the US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman to back off at a press conference on January 28. “There is nothing in the plan that imposes an alteration of the status quo that is not subject to the agreement of all parties.” ” he said.

A senior US official, familiar with the parties and the issues, told Al Jazeera that he “had no doubt that the language of the statement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates was written with foresight malice on the part of Israel, without a clear understanding of the Emirates “. and with the complicity of a clueless American team ”.

“Friedman’s rapid backtracking of what was in Trump’s plan attests to this: Dermer probably inserted it, Kushner had no idea,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The fact that it was Friedman who backed down, rather than the White House, also means that the language of Trump’s plan remains official and determines if things get complicated … Even if the Kushner-Friedman idiots understand the ramifications. It is clear that they do not care. “

Eddie Vasquez, senior adviser and spokesman for the US State Department, in an email to Al Jazeera referred to a newsletter published after the “deal of the century” was released, which said the status quo will be maintained.

“All Muslims are welcome to peacefully visit Al-Aqsa Mosque,” said one of the points. But there were no clarifications on why the term Al-Aqsa Mosque was used instead of Haram al-Sharif in the agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

‘Israeli sovereignty over Al-Aqsa’

The normalization agreements come when Israeli authorities recently installed loudspeakers on the east and west side of the Al-Aqsa compound last week, without the permission of the Waqf.

The holy site is administered by the Islamic Waqf, based in Jordan. Under the status quo, Israel is only responsible for security outside the gates.

“The Israel police said it is for security reasons, but we really don’t see this security reason,” Omar Kiswani, director of the Al-Aqsa complex, told Al Jazeera.

“We view this action as an attempt to impose control over the Al-Aqsa mosque and undermine the role of the Waqf in the mosque,” Kiswani said.

Zabarqa said that Jordan, as custodian of the site, “has no power to deal with the occupation [authorities]”.

“I think Jordan needs to make a change and make new allies like with Turkey. It has to use financial and diplomatic relations with Israel as a letter to pressure, but it seems that it is weak enough to be on the side of the Americans,” he said Zabarqa. said.

TJ noted in its report that it is not mentioned in the Waqf agreement and its autonomous role.

“The Muslim claims of Haram al-Sharif / Al-Aqsa are being transformed from one of property to one of ‘welcome guest’ with the right to visit and pray in Al-Aqsa,” he said.

‘A landmine’

Zabarqa said the clause is “groundbreaking for the Israeli-American narrative” and believes that “the UAE agreed to be the spearhead.”

Zabarqa noted in 2014 that the UAE was involved in the transfer of more than 30 buildings to illegal Israeli settlers in Silwan in the East Jerusalem.

“This shows us the clear role that the Emirates play in changing the term from the status quo to one that recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over Al-Aqsa,” Zabarqa said.

Seidemann said that when Emiratis and Bahrainis participate in the ceremony organized by Trump on Tuesday at the White House to sign a “historic declaration of peace” with Israel, they should demand clarification to ensure the status quo is intact.

“All it takes is Kushner and Netanyahu to say, ‘I still believe what I said in 2015.’ They’ve been asked to do that for the past two weeks, they haven’t. This is not innocent, “Seidemann said.

“This is a landmine that the Trump administration and Netanyahu are leaving for the next administration, the next Israeli government. They are playing with Haram al-Sharif / Al-Aqsa / Temple Mount. It will light a fuse,” Seidemann said.

“The fuse may be long, but it will blow and it is not too late to prevent it from blowing.”

With reports from Dareen Jubeh on busy East Jerusalem