Al-Aqsa preacher Khaled Abu Jom’a faces arrest and deportation as mosque preachers come under fire
The occupation police have released Sheikh Khaled Abu Jom’a, a preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on the condition that he stay away from the mosque for one week, with the ban potentially extended by several more days.
Occupation forces arrested Sheikh Abu Jom’a from inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque after raiding one of its rooms, shortly after Friday’s sermon and prayers.
In his sermon, Sheikh Abu Jom’a spoke about the importance of “ribat” (steadfast presence) in Jerusalem and at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the spiritual rewards it brings. He also discussed the olive harvest season and the Palestinian people’s deep-rooted connection to their land.
Ongoing expulsions targeting Al-Aqsa preachers
The arrest and subsequent conditional release of Sheikh Abu Jom’a are part of an ongoing campaign against preachers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, using arrests and expulsion orders to prevent them from accessing the mosque and carrying out their religious duties.
Last Tuesday, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri—head of the Supreme Islamic Council and a preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque—was notified that his expulsion from the mosque had been extended for another six months, until mid-April 2027. This continues the recurring policy of renewing exclusion orders against him.
Since August 2024, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri has been barred from reaching or entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The ban is part of a series of ongoing expulsion orders targeting prominent religious and national figures in Jerusalem, effectively preventing them from accessing the mosque and carrying out their religious duties there.
The occupation authorities had previously issued an order barring Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, from entering the mosque for six months, from July 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027.
This incident is part of an ongoing policy by the occupation authorities targeting preachers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The policy includes monitoring Friday sermons, pursuing and arresting preachers, and targeting those who address issues related to Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the broader Palestinian situation. The arrest of Sheikh Khaled Abu Jom’a is not an isolated case. In recent years, Al-Aqsa Mosque preachers have frequently been summoned, arrested, and interrogated, and issued orders barring them from the mosque—preventing them from carrying out their religious duties there.
These banishment orders reflect a persistent policy affecting a broad spectrum of Palestinians, including residents of Jerusalem and Palestinians from within the 1948 territories. Those affected include men and women, the elderly and youth, religious and national figures, employees of the Islamic Endowment Department, journalists, and former prisoners.
These bans can last from a few days to six months and may be renewed. In many cases, they are renewed as soon as they expire, keeping targeted individuals barred from the Al-Aqsa Mosque for months or even years through successive orders.
