Move afoot to change Al-Aqsa’s status

Recent media reports indicate the Israeli government intends to formally designate the compound as a “multi-faith centre”. This brazen move flies in the face of centuries of tradition, under which even some Jewish groups forbid their followers from praying within the mosque’s premises. According to BBC, Israel might impose large-scale Jewish prayer practices at this historically Muslim site, an audacious move towards full control of its administration. The move is spearheaded by extreme right-wing Israeli politicians like Moshe Feiglin, who recently descended from the compound after unlawfully praying and singing religious songs alongside radical religious zealots. “The whole land of Israel was promised to the children of God … and this is where we are going to build a new Temple for the entire humanity to come and pray together,” Feiglin said, openly flouting diplomatic conventions in complete contravention of international agreements. Under the binding Status Quo agreement, the Jordanian-administered Islamic Waqf retains sole custody of Al-Aqsa. Non-Muslims are legally permitted to visit, but explicitly barred from carrying out religious rites. Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir frequently storms the al-Aqsa compound to aggressively incite sectarian tensions. A recently circulated video prominently captures the controversial minister leading nationalist mobs in absolute defiance of existing peace mandates. “The Temple Mount is ours. It’s in our hands!” Ben-Gvir chanted as he unfurled an Israeli flag to systematically dism