The History of Zionist Aggression on Al Aqsa
Written by Shafika Husseini and Raneem Hijazi
The Al-Aqsa Compound in Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam.
Within the Al Aqsa compound, you will find:
The Dome of the Rock: Built in the 7th century, it marks where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended to heaven.
Qibli Mosque: The main place of prayer within the compound.
Al-Buraq Wall: This is where the Prophet (PBUH) tethered his Buraq (the winged creature that carried him to heaven).
Under Zionist occupation, Palestinians face severe restrictions on accessing Al-Aqsa. Excavations threaten the mosque's very foundations, driven by the desire to build a new Jewish temple. Al-Aqsa is central to Palestinian identity and a symbol of resistance. Its preservation is vital.
After the Second Intifada, sparked by Ariel Sharon’s forced entry into Al-Aqsa to “lay claim” to the compound, the Zionist regime erected the apartheid wall to fragment the Palestinian population and restrict their freedom of movement. Now, Palestinians from Gaza to ‘48 to East Jerusalem and the West Bank are forced to move through checkpoints to even move throughout their homeland.
This follows a typical pattern of Zionist aggression on Al-Aqsa, with the overall intent of completely erasing all traces of Palestinian heritage from the land. Both from settlers and occupational military forces, state-sanctioned violence against Al-Aqsa is a yearly norm with the explicit purpose of stomping out Palestinian identity and exerting “Israel’s“ colonial domination over native Palestinians.
Israeli violence at Al-Aqsa isn't isolated. It's a brutal pattern of settler-colonialism aimed at erasing Palestinian presence from our holy sites. IOF soldiers storm the compound, assaulting and beating worshippers, especially during Ramadan, aiming to break the Palestinian spirit and exert dominance.
In Ramadan 1994, a Zionist settler murdered 29 Palestinians worshiping at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al Khalil. “Israel” then partitioned the mosque, ‘awarding’ Jews 60% and leaving Muslims with 40% of the fourth most sacred site in Islam. Illegal zionist settlers who attack Palestinians are rarely held accountable. “Israel's” fascist government emboldens them, leading to further violence and aggression against the Palestinian people.
Palestinians will continue to defend Al-Aqsa, symbolizing our broader liberation struggle. This fight extends far beyond Jerusalem.
Al-Aqsa is at the core of the Palestinian identity, with popular Palestinian resistance efforts from the Second Intifada to the most recent Al-Aqsa Flood centering around the protection of Al-Aqsa as a Palestinian symbol of nationhood.
Today, the occupation deployed as many as 15,000 IOF soldiers to the Occupied West Bank, barring Palestinians from worshiping during the holiest month in Islam. Increasing and refortifying checkpoints throughout Al-Quds, “Israel” prevented more worshippers from entering Al-Aqsa than there were worshippers who were allowed in, according to Middle East Eye. They even added steel gates across the walls of Al-Aqsa and have continuously denied people from worshiping completely arbitrarily.
We grow more and more restless at the idea of Zionist aggression against Al-Aqsa. Still, Palestinians remain steadfast, and Al-Aqsa continues to stand as a symbol of resistance against colonization, and erasure.
