Smotrich called the Ibrahimi Mosque the sovereign property of the Jewish people — Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, during a visit to the Ibrahimi Mosque in the Palestinian city of Hebron in the West Bank, stated that it is “the first sovereign property of the Jewish people.” He also said that the shrine would forever remain a symbol of Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Smotrich arrived at the complex for a ceremony marking the completion of roofing and restoration work on parts of it. Israel’s Channel 14 reported that the event took place after Smotrich’s announced decision to cancel the Hebron Accords and strip the Palestinian municipality of certain powers in the Old City.
Restrictions in the Old City
The article notes that around 500 Israeli settlers live in Hebron’s Old City alongside thousands of Palestinians. Palestinian residents and the publication’s interlocutors described blocked streets, checkpoints and document checks. According to the Palestinian National Information Center, approximately 1,829 commercial establishments were closed in the Old City, 520 of them under separate military orders.
Islam al-Fahouri, a resident of Al-Sahla Street, said that restrictions on movement and the number of checkpoints intensified after October 7, 2023. According to him, Palestinians who remained in their homes are subjected to constant checks and attacks by settlers.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Control over the shrine
Sheikh Mutaz Abu Sneineh, director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, stated that visitors pass through turnstiles, electronic gates and several document checks. According to him, after October 7, Palestinians under the age of 25 were banned from entering the mosque.
According to the article, after the killing of 29 Muslim worshippers by settler Baruch Goldstein in 1994, Israel took control of 63% of the complex and designated that part for Jewish use. Palestinians have access to it only ten days a year, while on the days of certain Jewish holidays Muslims are completely prohibited from visiting the mosque.
The 1997 Hebron Protocol divided the city into the H1 and H2 areas. According to Asharq Al-Awsat’s description, the decision previously announced by Smotrich and approved by the Higher Planning Council of the Israeli Civil Administration deprived the Hebron municipality of authority over planning and construction in the H2 area, which includes the Old City.
