South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP) expresses its profound outrage at Israel’s closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers during the final days of Ramadan and for Eid al-Fitr. This is not merely a security measure; it is a deliberate act of collective punishment that weaponises access to the holiest site in Islam.
For the first time since Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Al-Aqsa Mosque has been shuttered during the last ten days of Ramadan and for Eid. This is a catastrophic deprivation of religious freedom for Palestinians and sends a message of hatred and intolerance to Muslims worldwide. Witnesses described worshippers being repelled by police with kicks, slaps, and tear gas as they gathered at the gates of the Old City, desperate to pray.
As Jews, we know what it means to be barred from our holy sites. We know the pain of exile and the yearning for access to sacred spaces. It is precisely because of this history that we cannot remain silent when the same injustice is inflicted upon others. The closure of Al-Aqsa is a desecration not only of Islam’s third holiest site but of the very principle of religious freedom that should be sacred to all who cherish human dignity.
We reject the Israeli government’s justification that this closure is for “safety reasons” amid the war with Iran. The right to worship cannot be suspended indefinitely under the guise of security. For over two years, Palestinians in Gaza have faced genocide; now, Palestinians in Jerusalem are being denied the solace of prayer at their holiest site during their holiest days.
We stand in solidarity with the Muslim worshippers who gathered at Herod’s Gate, their prayers rising from the streets where they were forced to kneel. We hear their words: “O God, grant victory to the oppressed.”
We call on the Israeli government to immediately reopen Al-Aqsa Mosque and uphold the status quo. We call on the international community to condemn this violation of religious freedom. And we reaffirm our commitment to a future where all peoples in the Holy Land can worship freely, without fear, at their sacred sites.
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