Israel has granted permission for Jewish settlers in the West Bank to dance, sing, and move around freely at the Al-Aqsa compound, Islam’s third holiest mosque. Several Israeli media outlets confirmed the news in their reports on Thursday.Israeli broadcaster Channel Seven reported on Thursday: “For the first time, Jewish visitors have been allowed to sing, dance, and roam freely across the sacred Al-Aqsa compound. Government sources revealed that the permission was granted under a new policy formulated by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.”Itamar Ben-Gvir, a powerful coalition partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is himself an illegal settler and the leader of Israel’s far-right Jewish Power party. He currently serves as the Minister of Internal Security and Police in Israel’s wartime government.It’s worth noting that Ben-Gvir’s approval represents a serious violation of the written laws and regulations concerning the Al-Aqsa compound. According to Channel Seven’s report, three weeks ago, several Jewish religious organizations visited Ben-Gvir’s office to demand expanded Jewish access to the Al-Aqsa compound. Following a meeting with them, Ben-Gvir granted this permission.During the meeting, he reportedly said, “I want the sound of music to resonate throughout the entire Al-Aqsa compound.”Channel Seven’s report further mentioned that police forces responsible for security at the Al-Aqsa compound have already been briefed on the new policy and instructed not to obstruct music, dancing, or the movement of visitors within the compound.Although the ministry has not yet officially announced anything on the matter, since Ben-Gvir became Israel’s National Security Minister in 2022, there has been an increasing trend of violations of settlement-related laws and regulations at the Al-Aqsa compound.In the early days of Islam, Al-Aqsa Mosque was the first qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims. Located in East Jerusalem, the mosque and its surrounding area have been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Later, in the 1980s, Israel annexed the entire East Jerusalem area—however, the international community still does not recognize East Jerusalem as Israeli territory.
