Israeli Knesset member joins thousands of illegal settlers in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

A hard-line member of the Israeli parliament joined thousands of illegal Jewish settlers in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, marking the fifth day of the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to the Jerusalem governor’s office, thousands of illegal settlers entered the mosque courtyard and the ancient Bab Al-Rahma cemetery, where they performed Talmudic rituals.

Bab Al-Rahma is an ancient Muslim cemetery that has been a religious endowment — waqf — property for more than 1,400 years. It contains numerous graves of notable companions of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

According to the statement, Zvi Sukkot MK from the far-right Religious Zionism Party of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, also forced his way into the flashpoint site and performed what is called “epic prostration”. Ben-Gvir praised Sukkot’s act and for changing the site’s status quo.

“I’m happy to see that also Zvi Sukkot MK, like many thousands, is prostrating himself and praying at the Temple Mount [Al-Aqsa Mosque],” said Ben-Gvir.

Israel has allowed illegal settlers into the flashpoint compound almost on a daily basis since 2003, with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the “Temple Mount” and believe that it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Six Day War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognised by the international community or international law.

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