Following Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, an arrangement known as the “status quo” was established regarding the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif. According to this arrangement, only Muslims are permitted to worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while non-Muslims may visit at specific times. The administration of the site is carried out by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Council, which is affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf. However, the current status quo has been violated numerous times since its implementation, and Al-Haram Al-Sharif has faced many attacks.
History of hatred
In 1969, Austrian Denis Michael Rohan set the Al-Aqsa Mosque on fire. The pulpit, which had been preserved in its original form since the time of Saladin, was destroyed, and numerous historical elements within the compound were damaged. These events caused a major uproar in the Islamic world and led to the establishment of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Al-Haram Al-Sharif has also become a target of radical groups in subsequent years. Under the leadership of Yoel Lerner, a member of the Kahanist movement and the Jewish Defense League, various groups devised plans in 1974, 1977 and 1983 to blow up the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in the compound to remove the Islamic structures in the area and prepare the ground for the construction of the Third Temple.
