Jerusalem Warns of Push to Alter Al-Aqsa Religious Reality

The Jerusalem Governorate issued a statement on Monday warning against attempts by so-called Temple groups to establish a new Jewish religious foothold near the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem. Officials described recent activities as part of an organized strategy that extends far beyond seasonal rituals associated with Jewish holidays.

Settlers have held ceremonies near the cemetery adjacent to the eastern wall, aiming to make the location a regular spot for Jewish gatherings. These moves, watched closely in recent weeks, seek to transform the area into a recurring point for prayer rather than just occasional visits.

Monitoring of social media posts shows these groups are promoting a specific narrative that gives special importance to the eastern side of the mosque walls. A WhatsApp group called Mercy Gates Open for Us was created to spread this idea among supporters and participants actively.

Beliefs linking the gate to the Temple and the Shekhinah drive these efforts to reposition it as a site for Jewish prayer. The campaign has shifted from online promotion to practical steps, including calls for weekly Selihot prayers at the location regularly.

The governorate stressed that the entire 144-dunum area remains an exclusively Islamic place of worship under waqf status. It asserted that occupation authorities have no sovereignty over the city or its holy sites, nor any right to change the mosque identity.

Allowing such practices to normalize could encourage groups to expand their activities to other points around the complex. The statement concluded that these events represent an organized path to impose a new religious reality through permanent presence and routine practice.