The arms of the occupation do not cease their attempts to Judaize all of occupied Jerusalem in general, and the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular, in a bid to change the Arab and Islamic identity of the city, and to target the centrality of Al-Aqsa Mosque. This targeting is connected to facilitating the entry of intruders into the mosque and distorting the established civilizational image of the mosque and its status and location.
Judaization Projects to Encircle Al-Aqsa
Alongside the ongoing genocide that the occupying forces are waging in the Gaza Strip, their other arms have been working to implement more Judaization projects targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings, especially the Judaization project of the "cable car" (the light aerial tram). While the occupying forces impose a practical siege on the mosque, they have sought to establish a technological siege by installing listening devices and surveillance cameras, and reinforcing the existing ones, to monitor the movements of worshippers and what they do inside the mosque, culminating in the construction of new Judaization centers, added to the many other projects carried out by the arms of the occupation in recent years.
In this article, we highlight a number of new Judaization projects that the occupying authorities are seeking to complete amid the ongoing aggression of the occupation on Gaza and Lebanon.
Reducing the Number of Worshippers at Al-Aqsa
Since the beginning of their aggression on the Gaza Strip, the occupation has simultaneously worked to reduce the number of worshippers at Al-Aqsa and has attempted to isolate the mosque. It has taken a series of steps forcibly imposed, which led to a decline in the number of worshippers in the months following the beginning of the aggression, including the installation of iron cages at the entrances of Al-Aqsa.
On March 14, 2024, the occupation police installed barriers and iron cages at three of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque: the Iron Gate, the Al-Ghawana Gate, and the King Faisal Gate. The Al-Quds International Institution stated that this step aims to establish permanent checkpoints for the Zionist police at the gates of Al-Aqsa, converting these checkpoints and the accompanying inspection and oppression measures into fixed procedures.
Enforcing Surveillance on Al-Aqsa and Its Surroundings
One of the most prominent new projects related to enforcing surveillance on Al-Aqsa and its surroundings is the installation of new listening devices by the occupation authorities. On February 25, 2024, the occupation police erected a tall communications tower enhanced with surveillance cameras and equipped with sensors, which was set up above the western portico of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The occupation authorities preceded this with construction work carried out above the Tunkaziyah School in the western portico of Al-Aqsa, which is controlled by the occupation. According to Hebrew data, this network of communications, cameras, and sensors can monitor the movements of worshippers and track the entries to Al-Aqsa with high accuracy.
Tightening Security Control
The extent of this security grip on Jerusalem, and the role of these cameras and sensors, was underscored by reports published in Hebrew sources on November 3, 2024. The occupation police organized a competition among its various units in occupied Jerusalem to select the best unit using 360-degree imaging technology, with the prize going to the “Temple Mount Unit,” valued at 10,000 shekels. This competition indicates the volume of technologies that the occupation police generally and this unit in particular use to monitor Palestinians and impose a siege on Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly since the occupation police have intensified the deployment of modern cameras around Al-Aqsa and at its gates.
In the latest developments over the past months regarding the role of the occupation police and their deployment around Al-Aqsa, on October 30, 2024, the occupation police announced that they would build a new center near the Iron Gate, one of the gates of Al-Aqsa. The building will consist of three floors, to be established in place of a warehouse seized by the occupation in 1991, within the Islamic Quarter. This confirms the attempts by the occupation police to increase their forces and reinforce their presence inside areas populated by Palestinians in the eastern part of occupied Jerusalem.
Building New Judaization Centers Near "Al-Aqsa"
In addition to security-related projects, Judaization projects form a fundamental part of any initiatives undertaken by the occupying authorities. In late January 2024, sources from Jerusalem revealed that the occupation has begun work on establishing a Judaization center west of "Al-Aqsa." It was noted that the Israeli businessman Laurent Levi laid the foundation stone for the "Third Temple" study center, which is scheduled for inauguration in four years. The mission of this center will be to train settlers and provide materials centered around the construction of the "Temple," including its technical, architectural, and engineering plans.
Reviving the So-Called "Jewish Heritage"
Alongside this new center, the Ministry of Heritage, in cooperation with various ministries and settlement organizations, has launched a massive Judaization project surrounding "Al-Aqsa" under the title "Reviving Jewish Heritage." This project includes changing the doors of the Old City, especially those near the mosque, erasing historical sites and landmarks, judaizing the Jerusalem citadel at the Hebron Gate, judaizing the area around the Hebron Gate, judaizing some Ottoman schools, raising Israeli flags, and other Judaization projects concentrated in the area the occupation calls the "Holy Basin," located in the heart of Jerusalem and surrounding the mosque.
Occupation Continues Judaization of the Buraq Square
In recent months, the occupation has continued to target the Buraq Square and the western wall of "Al-Aqsa." It has continued the excavations south of the Mughrabi Bridge with the aim of creating a space for Jewish women and "Reform" Jews to perform their prayers and rituals.
"Beit Heliba" Project
On the western side of Buraq Square, the occupation has begun deep and new excavations as part of the "Beit Heliba" project, which will consist of at least three levels. It is expected that the occupation will connect the "Beit Heliba" medical project with the "Beit Strauss" project located just a few meters from the Buraq Wall.
However, the occupying authorities are not stopping there; they are working on implementing more projects in the occupied Buraq Wall area. Last September, Palestinian sources revealed that the occupation authorities had begun work on an elevator project 200 meters from the Buraq Wall, to be called the "Kotel Elevator," aimed at facilitating access for settlers with disabilities to the occupied Buraq Square and easing the incursions into "Al-Aqsa." The project costs 55 million shekels (approximately 15 million dollars), and it includes underground passageways, a street with commercial shops, and rooms, with the elevator reaching a depth of 26 meters, linking the "Jewish Quarter" to the occupied Buraq Square.
New Places to Promote the Myths of the Alleged "Temple"
The authorities of the occupation aim to promote their narratives through many of these projects. Palestinian sources reported that "Israeli" settlement organizations have set up tents at the northern entrance of the town of Silwan towards the Lion's Gate, just meters from the eastern wall of Al-Aqsa mosque near the Gate of Mercy. These organizations have placed wooden benches, furniture, artifacts inspired by ancient Arab heritage, as well as products and pottery adorned with Hebrew inscriptions and symbols mirroring previous historical civilizations, with the aim of promoting misleading biblical narratives.
