Ahead of the Jewish New Year, Rotman urges that Al-Aqsa be opened for incursions on Saturday and that the blowing of the shofar be allowed
Simcha Rotman, head of the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, sent an urgent official letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling for significant changes to the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the upcoming Jewish New Year holidays.
Rotman advocated for permitting settlers to openly and officially blow the shofar, a Jewish horn, inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He argued that banning this practice violates what he describes as "the public's right to perform religious rites in the holiest place."
He also called for opening the Al-Aqsa Mosque to settler visits and Talmudic prayers on the first day of the Jewish New Year, which occurs on a Saturday. This attempt seeks to alter the existing restrictions on Saturdays, as settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque normally are not allowed.
In his letter to senior Israeli political and security leaders, Rotman emphasized the urgency of promptly approving these demands, asserting that they align with what he called the "spiritual and national significance" for the Jewish community.
These demands align with the Jewish holiday season that starts in September. The Jewish New Year is on September 12, followed by Yom Kippur and Sukkot.
This year's holiday season occurs amid a rising trend of Israeli concessions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. These concessions began with the allowance of new Jewish religious practices and rituals, eventually leading to the approval of bringing prayer books ("siddur") into the mosque. Israeli police even approved a trial entry of 15 intruders. Additionally, Israeli flags have been allowed to be raised, and the eastern part of Al-Aqsa has become a site for daily public prayers and lessons. This coincides with increased Israeli efforts to expand incursions and Jewish rituals inside the mosque, effectively establishing a new reality on the ground.
Rotman’s call to permit shofar blowing and open Al-Aqsa for incursions and rituals on Saturdays reflects a growing pattern of Israeli public demands to alter the status quo at the mosque. These efforts aim to turn Jewish holidays and events into opportunities for increasing religious displays and rituals within its courtyards.
Settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque occur daily, excluding Fridays, Saturdays, and Islamic holidays. These happen in two sessions, morning and afternoon, under occupation police protection through the Dung Gate, whose keys have been controlled by occupation authorities since Jerusalem's occupation in 1967.
