The Ibrahimi Mosque faces new Judaization plans
The Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil is witnessing one of its most dangerous periods in years, amid escalating Israeli assaults and attempts to alter its religious, historical, and administrative character. Experts describe this as a “systematic campaign” aimed at fully Judaizing the site.
A policy of control
Mutaz Abu Sneineh, the Mosque’s director, said that these repeated attacks are no longer isolated incidents but rather part of an official policy to impose a new reality inside and around the Mosque.
In an interview with the PIC, Abu Sneineh explained that Israeli incursions, by both soldiers and settlers, now occur almost daily under so-called “security pretexts.” However, the real goal is to entrench full Israeli control over the site.
He noted that Israeli forces frequently close the Mosque to Muslim worshipers for extended hours or even entire days, especially during Jewish holidays, violating freedom of religion and worship.
He added that harsh restrictions are imposed on Palestinians entering the Mosque, including humiliating searches, to limit the presence of Muslim worshipers in the area.
The Israeli occupation has also installed more surveillance cameras and fortified military checkpoints around the Mosque, aiming to tighten security control and suppress independent Palestinian presence.
Abu Sneineh revealed that settler-led Judaization projects are underway around the Mosque, including excavations, construction of exclusive paths for settlers, and altering the historical layout of surrounding roads.
He further stated that Israeli authorities prevent the Palestinian Restoration Committee from carrying out repairs inside or around the Mosque under the pretext of “security,” while allowing settler organizations to make alterations within the occupied parts.
Targeting the Mosque’s identity
Abu Sneineh warned of increasingly aggressive actions targeting the Mosque’s audio identity, including frequent silencing or lowering of the call to prayer, sometimes dozens of times each month.
This silencing, he stressed, is not only a religious offense, it is a deliberate attempt to erase Islamic presence and convert the space entirely into one used for Jewish rituals.
He added that attacks on worshipers have increased, carried out by both soldiers and settlers, including physical assault, pushing, arrests, and denial of entry, especially during dawn prayers.
According to Abu Sneineh, Israel is attempting to impose a full “temporal division” similar to what is happening at the Aqsa Mosque, where specific times are allocated exclusively to Jewish worshipers.
He also warned of plans to enforce an expanded “spatial division” by seizing additional areas of the Mosque beyond those already partitioned since the 1994 massacre.
Abu Sneineh said Israeli authorities are introducing new devices into the Mosque, under the guise of “preservation,” but in reality aim to manipulate its internal structure and control it completely.
He emphasized that these steps are not just “security measures” but part of a broader plan to Judaize al-Khalil’s Old City and turn the Mosque into a Jewish religious center.
He warned that international silence gives Israel the green light to intensify its violations without accountability and reinforces the belief that the Mosque is an open space for its colonial projects.
A religious and cultural battle
In a similar vein, Palestine’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Hussein affirmed that attacks on the Ibrahimi Mosque are part of a broader policy targeting all Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine, especially the Aqsa Mosque.
In an exclusive statement to the PIC, he said Israel uses various tools to control religious sites, including banning worshipers, installing iron gates, restricting renovations, and ramping up surveillance.
The measures against both the Ibrahimi and Aqsa Mosques, he said, are not security-based, they’re steps toward changing the Arab and Islamic identity of the sacred sites.
The Mufti noted that Israel seeks to create an environment in which Palestinians feel unwelcome or restricted in accessing their holy sites, while settlers enjoy unfettered access.
He asserted that the targeting of the Ibrahimi Mosque is part of a “deliberate religious division” plan, which began years ago and is now taking on a more severe and obvious form.
These violations, he said, are not only religious offenses; they’re also an assault on history itself. The Mosque is among the holiest Islamic sites in Palestine and the world.
He underscored that Israel’s efforts to take over administrative control of the Mosque violate all international laws, which recognize it as a purely Islamic endowment.
A call for action
The Mufti emphasized that the Ibrahimi Mosque is not just a place of worship, it is a vital symbol of al-Khalil’s historical identity and an essential element of the Palestinian people’s connection to their land and heritage.
He said the continued presence of Palestinians in and around the Mosque is the first line of defense against Israeli encroachments.
Israel, he warned, seeks to empty the Mosque of its worshipers and gradually allow settlers to take it over, just as has happened at various times in Aqsa Mosque.
He concluded that all these actions represent a “forced transformation” of the site’s nature, carried out through measures lacking any legal or religious legitimacy.
The Mufti called for urgent Arab and Islamic action to curb Israel’s aggression, stressing that the Ibrahimi Mosque is not merely a local concern but one that affects the entire Muslim world.
He noted that statements alone are no longer enough, as Israel exploits the world’s distraction to deepen its occupation of holy sites with no international oversight.
He urged the reactivation of international organizations tasked with protecting religious heritage, especially UNESCO, to prevent Israel from erasing Islamic landmarks in al-Khalil.
He concluded that the attack on the Ibrahimi Mosque is part of a broader campaign against Islamic endowments, not only in al-Khalil but also in Jerusalem and across Palestinian cities.
The Mufti emphasized that it is a religious and national duty to maintain a Palestinian presence in the Mosque and defend it through every available legal and grassroots means, because the battle over the Ibrahimi Mosque is a battle for existence, not just details.