Tel Aviv: Israeli authorities in occupied East Jerusalem have officially allowed Jews to perform religious prayers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a step being described as a significant change to the existing status quo.
According to Arab media, Israeli police permitted settlers entering the Al-Aqsa compound to bring Jewish prayer books inside and hold collective prayers.
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf says that such activities have taken place in the past as well, but were mostly carried out without official authorization. It added that granting formal permission now represents an important and concerning shift.
The Waqf stated that entering Al-Aqsa as a visitor and performing formal religious worship there are two different matters, warning that allowing organized prayer could open the door to establishing new rules at the site.
The Al-Aqsa compound has, for decades, been recognized as an Islamic holy site under the existing status quo arrangement, with its administration and supervision under the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.
Since the 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem, Israel has repeatedly been accused of gradually undermining the current administrative status of Al-Aqsa. The latest move is being seen as a continuation of that trend
