RAMALLAH: Palestinians are highly concerned about a proposed law being debated in Israel’s Parliament that will partition Al-Aqsa Mosque, and they intend to seek the help of Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Egypt to prevent the bill from being implemented.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh has cautioned Israeli authorities not to introduce the law, submitted by Likud party member Amit Halevi, in the Israeli Knesset in the coming days.
His words came at the start of the Cabinet meeting in Ramallah.
Taking this step, he added, would provoke “overwhelming anger,” the effects of which “cannot be predicted because of the sanctity and religious value of Al-Aqsa Mosque for the Palestinian people, Arabs, and Muslims.”
He urged Arab, Islamic, and international action that goes beyond criticism and instead implements penalties to prevent any changes to Al-Aqsa Mosque and any violation of Islamic and Christian sacred sites in Jerusalem.
The proposed bill would partition Al-Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews.
Halevi has advocated reserving for Jews the territory extending from the courtyard of the Dome of the Rock to the end of the northern border of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Palestinians are fearful that the proposal is just the start of a massive and hazardous initiative that would turn the Palestinian-Israeli political conflict into a religious war, resulting in widespread violence in Palestinian areas.
Palestine and Jordan, which have custody of the Islamic and Christian sacred sites, are opposed to any involvement or change by Israeli authorities inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The presidential adviser on Jerusalem affairs, Ahmed Al-Ruwaidi, condemned the idea as yet another Israeli attempt to impose control over Jerusalem and incorporate East Jerusalem as part of Israel.
According to Al-Ruwaidi, the right-wing Israeli administration is attempting to diminish the Palestinian role in Jerusalem by targeting Palestinian organizations and people, as well as Hashemite guardianship over Islamic and Christian holy places.
According to Al-Ruwaidi, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a sacred location for Muslims only, and Israel must recognize Jordan’s jurisdiction over it.
He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized far-right radicals such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to storm Al-Aqsa and make racist speeches.
Netanyahu is using the Al-Aqsa Mosque problem to score political victories, according to Al-Ruwaidi, who warns that if a religious conflict breaks out, everyone will bear the consequences.
Palestinians argue that dividing Al-Aqsa Mosque would change its Islamic identity and confine it solely to the Al-Qibli prayer hall, similar to how the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron was divided, allotting 75% of the space to Jewish worshippers and the remaining 25% to Muslims.
Halevi’s idea, according to Palestinians, is an upheaval of the status quo that will result in increased Israeli control over the mosque.
The proposed regulation would allow Jews to enter the compound through all gates rather than just the Moroccan Gate, which is completely under Israeli control and cannot be accessed by Palestinians.
In another development, the Israeli Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs has approved a bill that aims to collect fines imposed by military courts in the West Bank on Palestinians and traffic fines collected by Israeli police and transfer them to the Israeli government’s treasury.
The bill is expected to be voted on soon by the Knesset Plenum.