Al-Aqsa faces an unprecedented existential threat during the Torah holiday season

An assessment by the Al-Quds International Institution predicts a resurgence of popular resistance as Israeli occupation efforts intensify to enforce religious hegemony over Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempts to erase the identity of the sacred site. This comes amid ongoing aggression in the West Bank, escalating resistance, the continuing genocide in Gaza, and increased activity on the supporting fronts.

The assessment, prepared by Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque specialist researcher Ziad Abheis, highlights that this year’s Jewish holiday season spans from October 3rd to October 24th, immediately followed by the first Hebrew anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, set to fall on the morning of Friday, October 25th.

The assessment suggests that this season may witness the fiercest assault on Al-Aqsa yet, with Israeli leadership viewing the anniversary as an opportunity to address the “October 7th crisis.” There is a possibility that the occupation may plan a multi-front attack on Wednesday and Thursday, October 24th and 25th, making it crucial to prepare for this potential escalation and even consider preemptive measures to strengthen resistance.

Al-Aqsa Flood in the Face of Elimination

The assessment indicates that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation marked the sixth phase of Palestinian resistance against the decisive phase launched by the Israeli occupation, with U.S. support, aimed at the comprehensive liquidation of the Palestinian cause. This phase began with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6, 2017.

This was followed by a demonization campaign and the defunding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), aimed at eliminating the right of return. The recognition of all forms of political representation for the Palestinian people was also withdrawn, even those that conformed to “colonial conditions.”

Subsequently, in January 2020, the “Deal of the Century” was announced, attempting to redefine the Palestinian cause as an issue of financial aid in exchange for security. This culminated in official Arab normalization on several fronts, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, in what became known as the “Abraham Accords.”

Revenge Attack

The assessment explains that the occupation responded to the Al-Aqsa Flood with a hasty revenge attack, followed by the development of a “decisive strategy.” This ideological strategy, while defying the balance of power, forms a cohesive whole that explains Israel’s systematic approach to waging war across various fronts.

Torah Holiday Season The assessment clarified that the extremist Temple groups, which are active within the religious Zionism movement and target Al-Aqsa Mosque, have historically used the Torah religious and Zionist national holidays as periods for aggression against Al-Aqsa. Their goal is to transform the mosque’s identity from an exclusively Islamic site into a purely Jewish one, starting with a phase of shared control.

These extremist groups have designated the holiday season, spanning from the Jewish New Year to the “Simchat Torah” holiday, as the worst period of aggression against Al-Aqsa each year. This year, the season will extend from October 3 to October 25.

The assessment highlights that this historical pattern has triggered five uprisings and wars, all beginning at Al-Aqsa during these holidays. These include the 1990 Al-Aqsa massacre, the 1996 Tunnel Uprising, the 2000 Al-Aqsa Intifada, the 2015 Knife Intifada, and most recently, the Al-Aqsa Flood. As the Israeli occupation and its extremist groups push for a decisive resolution, this season of uprisings is likely to be renewed, given the current circumstances on the ground.

Aggression on Al-Aqsa

The assessment predicts that the Israeli occupation police will sponsor the largest assault on Al-Aqsa Mosque during the upcoming Hebrew holiday season, where they will attempt to impose the full public performance of Torah rituals for each holiday and renew the siege on Al-Aqsa. The goal is to initiate and sustain this situation until the next Ramadan, similar to last years’ experience, taking advantage of the lower number of visitors during the winter.

Through this, the occupation police aim to fully dominate the eastern courtyard of Al-Aqsa and will attempt to expand the area for performing Torah rituals to the western side of the mosque, near the western colonnade, creating a new zone for exclusive control. They will also renew the practice of settlers dancing at the gates and exerting auditory dominance over the mosque.

The assessment suggests that reaching the peak of the announced rituals will involve repeated public shofar blowing on Thursday (October 3) and Sunday (October 13). It is expected that the shofar will be blown repeatedly and openly inside Al-Aqsa, at its gates, and around its walls.

Additionally, it is anticipated that the occupation will storm Al-Aqsa wearing “white repentance garments,” which mimic the attire of the priestly class, perform the “Priestly Blessings” prayers publicly, and impose plant offerings or the “Fruits of Sukkot” within the mosque. The aggression is expected to culminate in the performance of the “Simchat Torah” rituals in Al-Aqsa on October 24, symbolizing the culmination of the aggression with ceremonies portraying a victory after one year since the Al-Aqsa Flood.

Areas of Action

In conclusion, the assessment states that Al-Aqsa Mosque is facing the peak of the existential threat it has witnessed since its occupation. “This necessitates engaging in the battle to defend it by all possible means of resistance, at the level of the Palestinian people wherever they are, as well as the surrounding countries and all the peoples of the Arab and Islamic nations.”

The assessment calls for pressure on the official Arab regimes to adopt any positive stance and halt the deterioration of their position.

Additionally, it calls for launching the largest mobilization and awareness campaign in the history of solidarity with Al-Aqsa, starting today and continuing until the end of October 25th.

Source: Online platforms & Al-Jazeera