In violation of a longstanding agreement between Jordan and Israel, which prevents non-Muslim religious rituals from being performed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, a group of Israelis reportedly performed a marriage ritual inside the compound on Wednesday.
WAFA reported, according to Ma’an, that a group of right-wing ultra-religious Israelis performed a marriage ritual under the protection of Israeli police.
While Jewish visitation is permitted to the compound, non-Muslim worship at Al-Aqsa is prohibited according to an agreement signed between Israel and the Jordanian government, after Israel’s illegal occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
Despite the agreement with Jordan — which is the custodian of Al-Aqsa — Israeli authorities regularly allow Jewish visitors to enter the site, often under armed guard. Such visits are typically made by right-wingers attempting to unsettle the status quo at the site, and coincide with restrictions on Palestinian access, including bans on entrance and detentions.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque. The third holiest site in Islam, it is also venerated as Judaism’s most holy place, as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood.
(PNN archive image)
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