The Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa, Palestine, was broken into today and raided, the home of three shrines for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, and is the site of two Jewish Temples, most notably Temple Mount. Jews went to pray for the anniversary of Tisha B’Av, which mourns the destruction of two Jewish Temples that once stood there. However, violence erupted as Israeli police forcefully evacuated the Palestinian worshipers in order to make way for the over 1,300 Jews that went to pray at Temple Mount.
Israeli police forces lined up at Al-Aqsa Mosque waiting for the Muslim worshipers and stormed Al-Aqsa, shooting rubber bullets and throwing tear gas at the Palestinian worshipers. According to the Israeli Police, some Palestinians threw stones.
The purpose of this attack was to invoke fear into Muslim Palestinians while praying, all of which was orchestrated by Israeli extremist groups that called upon settlers to attack Al-Aqsa Mosque. Many were beaten and arrested, in addition to the complete destruction of the main prayer hall.
Palestinians have called upon others to help them in spreading awareness about this situation, and to help protect the holy mosque. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Israel stated that he had “instructed that the orderly and safe ascent of Jews to the Temple Mount should continue, while order is maintained at the site.”
The Palestinian Authority has condemned this violence and stated that “the Israeli occupation government is fully responsible for the escalation resulting from the Israeli incursion in the al-Aqsa mosque complex in occupied Jerusalem,” adding that Jews visiting the site was not only provocative, but deemed a “serious threat to security and stability.”
