The Jerusalem District Police is finalizing preparations for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, which begin in two weeks with Rosh Hashanah and continue for three weeks through the end of Sukkot on October 15, 2025. The preparations include the large-scale deployment of thousands of police officers and Border Police throughout the Old City of Jerusalem, especially around the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa compound and the Western Wall. At the same time, preventive measures are being taken to reduce friction and clashes between Jewish worshippers visiting the Temple Mount and Palestinian activists known for incitement and provoking disturbances
Heavy deployment in the Old City
Thousands of officers from the Jerusalem District, together with Border Police, volunteers, and reinforcements, will secure public spaces, entertainment venues, and holy sites to ensure the safety of worshippers, residents, and visitors. Security operations are also being reinforced along main traffic routes and pilgrim pathways
Summons for Palestinian activists at Kishle station
Alongside the deployment, the district police have begun summoning Palestinian activists for hearings. These individuals are known to intelligence as provocateurs who harass Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount and disrupt public order
Palestinian sources report that dozens of residents of East Jerusalem neighborhoods have recently received “home visits” by police delivering summonses for hearings at the David Subdistrict headquarters, located in the Kishle station near Jaffa Gate. When individuals were not found at home, summonses were delivered to relatives or workplaces
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Expulsion orders through the holiday season
The first hearings already took place on Sunday, with participants receiving temporary expulsion orders for one week. The district commander is expected to decide soon on final durations, which Palestinians assume will last at least through the entire holiday period.
Sheikh Najah Bkeirat and his son Daoud
Among those expelled are well-known figures, including Sheikh Najah Bkeirat, deputy director of the Waqf’s endowments department, and his son Daoud. Bkeirat, a resident of Sur Baher in southern Jerusalem and a senior Hamas member, has been central to the Palestinian campaign “Al-Aqsa is in Danger.” He regularly calls on Palestinians to ascend the Temple Mount not only for prayer, but also to “defend” the mosque from what he describes as Jewish “intrusions.” Two years ago he was expelled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem for six months, but has since returned and resumed his incitement activities
Yaqub Abu Asab – veteran Hamas operative
Another prominent activist is Yaqub Mahmoud Abu Asab, from the At-Tur neighborhood of East Jerusalem. A senior Hamas figure, he has been sentenced to multiple prison terms, serving over 15 years in total. Abu Asab previously coordinated Hamas activity across Jerusalem, particularly on the Temple Mount, and oversaw a network of operatives active throughout the city. He also managed Hamas-affiliated associations operating as charities while funding terror and paying militants
Over the years, Abu Asab distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars via couriers and money changers. In addition to prison sentences, Israeli authorities have repeatedly restricted him, banning entry to the Temple Mount, the Old City, and at times preventing him from leaving the country
Jamil al-Abbasi – the young generation of protest
Also on the list is Jamil al-Abbasi, a Palestinian in his twenties from Silwan near the Temple Mount. Al-Abbasi is recognized as a leading young activist in East Jerusalem, often present at prayers and protests against Jewish entry to the compound. He has been repeatedly arrested, with his access to Al-Aqsa frequently revoked due to incitement and disruptive activity
