Israel seeks to recruit ultranationalists for police unit at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Israeli authorities are seeking to recruit ultranationalists and settlers into police units deployed at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, according to a report by Haaretz.
Daniel Lerach, deputy commander of the police unit responsible for the mosque, issued online appeals for the recruitment of what he described as “religious officers” to serve at the site.
“Anyone who wants to take part in implementing sovereignty is welcome to contact me,” Lerach wrote in messages circulated on social media and WhatsApp groups, including ones linked to Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
According to Haaretz, rabbis associated with Temple Mount movements - groups that organise regular incursions into Al-Aqsa and advocate for its destruction - have encouraged their followers to enlist.
Arnon Segal, a prominent Temple Mount activist, welcomed the initiative, describing it as a sign that the Israeli state increasingly recognises Jewish claims to the site.
He said some prospective recruits had expressed reservations about joining a police force responsible for enforcing restrictions on Jewish prayer at the site. Nevertheless, he added that many activists were choosing to enlist.
The move comes amid a series of measures that Palestinians say are aimed at reducing their presence at Al-Aqsa while consolidating Israeli control over the site.
New phase
The Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate described the recruitment drive as a “dangerous development” that forms part of broader efforts to alter the mosque's Islamic character.
“The move seeks to integrate activists from extremist Temple Mount groups and followers of the religious Zionist movement into the body used by Israel to enforce its control over the mosque compound,” the governorate said in a statement on Thursday.
It added that the initiative signals a new phase of direct cooperation between Israeli state institutions and Temple Mount groups.
“The issue extends beyond the recruitment campaign itself,” the statement said.
“Israel is seeking to transfer effective authority over Al-Aqsa from the Islamic Waqf, which holds legal and historical custodianship of the site, to Israeli police and other state bodies.”
Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of Islam's holiest sites. For Jews, it is known as the Temple Mount, where many believe two ancient Jewish temples once stood.
Many Israeli groups advocate the destruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque to build a third temple in its place.
For decades, the site has been governed under the status quo, or international arrangement, which preserves its religious character as a Muslim place of worship and recognises the authority of the Jordan-backed Islamic Waqf, or religious environment.
Under the arrangement, only Muslims may pray at the site, while non-Muslims are permitted to visit under conditions set by the Waqf. Administration of the complex, including access, maintenance and religious affairs, falls under the Waqf.
But since the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Israelis have been gradually eroding the status quo through increasing restrictions on Palestinian and Muslim access, while expanding Jewish presence and control.
Violations of the status quo have intensified since October 2023, with Israeli officials and lawmakers openly calling for imposing full Israeli control within the site.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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