Against the backdrop of Operation “Lion’s Roar” and the ban on gatherings and entry to holy sites in Jerusalem, hundreds of Palestinians held yesterday’s Friday noon prayer near Damascus Gate. Officers from the Jerusalem District Police who were present at the scene maintained public order but refrained from dispersing the worshippers by force, even though more than 50 people were present, exceeding the limits set by Home Front Command guidelines.
Why did worshippers gather near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem?
Yesterday’s Friday was the third of the month of Ramadan. Under normal circumstances, tens of thousands of worshippers attend the noon prayer on this day, as indeed happened just a week ago. However, due to Operation “Lion’s Roar” and the missile launches from Iran, the entire Old City – including the Temple Mount – has been closed to worshippers and visitors for the past seven days. As a result, Muslims in general and Palestinians in particular have been prevented from experiencing prayer at Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
From the Palestinians’ perspective, these are not security guidelines intended to save lives but rather a cynical exploitation of the situation by Israel to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount compound and push them away from Al Aqsa Mosque.
How did the Friday prayer near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem unfold?
Yesterday, Friday at noon, several hundred worshippers who refused to accept the situation gathered near Damascus Gate and along the edge of the Musrara (Morasha) neighborhood. The worshippers spread prayer rugs on the pavement and held a protest prayer there, at the closest point to Al Aqsa Mosque they were able to reach, in response to the closure of the Temple Mount compound. Jerusalem District Police officers were present, prevented worshippers from descending into the gate plaza itself, and maintained public order, but refrained from dispersing the gathering by force. Ultimately, the prayer took place without unusual incidents, and fortunately there were no missile launches from Iran during the prayer.
