New incursion

The researcher in Jerusalem affairs, Ziyad Abhis, considered these measures a new incursion by the occupation into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Abhis said in a statement received.compassThis new incursion by the occupation police against the Islamic identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque came in anticipation of the month of Ramadan, in which the government, the police, and the extremist Temple groups are preparing together for a massive aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Hebrew “Passover” between Thursday 4-6 until Wednesday 4-12 -2023, which coincides with the third week of the holy month of Ramadan.

He added, “These cameras are likely to be high-resolution and work with face recognition technology, which makes precaution of their presence and work to remove them necessary.”

Abhais explained that the occupation had previously imposed a set of control and control tools in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in a way that bypasses the Jordanian Endowment Administration of the mosque and allows it to control the security over it by various means, as follows:

6-2005: The occupation finished installing a full range of thermal sensors and cameras that allow monitoring movement across the walls of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

10-2015: The occupation tried to drag the Jordanian endowments to install a system of cameras that closely photographed the Al-Aqsa Mosque square and broadcast around the clock, to allow it to identify all those involved in repelling its aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the Jordanian government retracted the project in 4-2016.

5-2016: After Jordan backed down from the cameras project, the occupation installed high-resolution cameras at the gates of: Al-Maghariba and Al-Mutahara, on the roof of the Al-Tanzi school in the west, at the base of the Al-Ghawanmeh minaret northwest of the mosque, and at the Lions’ Gate in the northeast of the mosque.

7-2017: The occupation tried to install electronic gates and cameras to ensure complete security control over Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings, and to control entry and exit, but it was forced to retreat in front of the Lions Gate gift.

8-2017: The occupation installed a camera and a speaker on the roof of the Omariya School to monitor the mosque from the northern side.

9-2020: The occupation installed speakers on the roof of Al-Aqsa Islamic Secondary School in the north, and on the roof of Bab Al-Mutahara in the west, to establish an audio system parallel to the basic audio system of the mosque.

3-14-2023: The occupation installed new high-resolution cameras that extend over the Al-Aqsa Mosque square from the roof of the Al-Tanzi school.

flagrant violation

As for the head of the Jerusalemite Commission for Anti-Judaization, Nasser Al-Hadmi, he said that the occupation had installed hundreds of cameras in the city and its old town, targeting Al-Aqsa and its surrounding walls, the Gate of the Column and Lions, and the Mount of Olives area, to monitor everything that is happening in the region.

He added, in statements to the Palestinian “Safa” agency, that the occupation wants to make al-Maqdisi feel that he is being watched and cannot do anything even in places of worship, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the place and the freedom of worship.

It shows that the occupation authorities violate all the freedoms and rights of Jerusalemites in a crude and disturbing way, thinking that it will bring security and safety in the city, but on the contrary, it increases the state of tension and inflames the situation, as well as pressure on the Jerusalemites who suffer greatly.

Al-Hidmi indicated that these measures come within the framework of preparing for the month of Ramadan, which is likely to be hotter this year and may witness great confrontations and tensions.

An attack on the Hashemite tutelage

Advisor to the Presidential Court for Jerusalem Affairs, Ahmed Al-Ruwaidi, considered the installation of surveillance cameras by the Israeli occupation forces in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque “a dangerous matter and an assault on the historical and legal status quo in the mosque and on the Jordanian guardianship.”

He said in his intervention on Al-Mamlaka TV, “This is an attack on the legal historical situation and on the Jordanian guardianship, a blatant interference on the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and a denial of all Israeli pledges to respect the status quo (the legal historical status). We hold the occupation authorities fully responsible for the state of escalation with this attack on the sanctity of this place.” sacred to Muslims before the holy month of Ramadan.