An Israeli court ruled yesterday that Jewish visitors who often storm Al-Aqsa Mosque without the consent of the Mosque’s administration can chant patriotic slogans as they did not count as religious prayers.
Under the status quo, Israelis are not permitted to enter the site to conduct prayers, but a Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ruled in favor of right-wing Jewish activist and lawyer Itamar Ben Gvir, who was detained for several hours in 2015 for chanting The people of Israel will live in Hebrew.
Ben Gvir was touring the compound with a number of other Jews and responded with the slogan to a Muslim woman who told the group God is great in Arabic.
Israeli settlers regularly storm the Al-Aqsa compound in coordination with Israeli forces, performing rituals and pledging to destroy the mosque, whilst Muslim worshippers are left outside.
Extreme settler groups have repeatedly called for increasing raids of the holy site, especially on significant Jewish holidays.
Source: Palestine Chronicle
