Ma'rouf Al-Rifai, Advisor to the Governor of Jerusalem, has warned of the danger behind a historic and unprecedented decline in the number of guards at the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. He stated that this is a direct result of escalating Israeli measures targeting the Islamic Waqf Department and its employees.
اضافة اعلان
In a press statement, Al-Rifai emphasized that current developments pose a direct threat to the Waqf's ability to fulfill its role in protecting and managing the mosque. He explained that the occupation authorities are pursuing a systematic policy to reduce the number of guards and staff inside Al-Aqsa. Currently, the number of guards on duty during the morning shift does not exceed 20, out of an official roster of over 50 per shift, marking one of the most critical crises facing the guarding system in years.
He pointed out that this sharp decline stems from a series of arbitrary measures, most notably the banishment of more than 37 guards and employees from Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the cancellation of permits for 30 administrative staff from the West Bank. This has led to a clear paralysis across various divisions of the Waqf Department, including administrative, technical, and service sectors.
Al-Rifai noted that these actions cannot be separated from a broader Israeli policy aimed at weakening the role of the Islamic Waqf Department and disrupting its capacity to manage the mosque's affairs. He highlighted that the occupation authorities continue to block maintenance and restoration works, even obstructing minor and essential repairs inside the mosque, in a blatant interference with the prerogatives of the legally authorized custodian.
Furthermore, Al-Rifai indicated that the occupation police have escalated a policy over recent months to gradually seize facilities and landmarks inside Al-Aqsa Mosque under security pretexts. This has targeted four main facilities used by the Islamic Waqf Department as administrative offices and workspaces: the Dome of Imam Al-Ghazali above the roof of the Bab Al-Rahma prayer hall, the Dar Al-Hadith Al-Sharif in the northeastern section of the mosque, the Dome of Suleiman in the northern courtyard, and the Dome of Musa in the southwestern area.
He explained that occupation forces deliberately storm these facilities, break their locks, and prevent the Waqf from rehabilitating or using them. This represents a clear attempt to strip them of their original function and phase them out of the Islamic Waqf's administration, reflecting a dangerous trend toward imposing new facts on the ground inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Al-Rifai noted that this escalation coincides with other steps reflecting an unprecedented level of coordination between the occupation police and extremist "Temple" groups. On June 3, the occupation police announced a campaign to recruit new volunteers into the so-called "Temple Mount Unit," a unit tasked with accompanying settlers, securing their incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, and protecting their Talmudic rituals and violations within its courtyards.
He stressed that this move clearly reveals the occupation's push to expand the influence of extremist groups and their branches inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, parallel to downsizing the role of the Islamic Waqf Department and hindering its work, serving the overarching project of imposing Israeli control over the mosque and its facilities.
In a related context, Al-Rifai stressed the necessity of strengthening the financial and economic resilience of the Islamic Waqf Department's employees in light of the worsening living challenges they face. He pointed out that their salaries are paid in Jordanian Dinars (JOD). With the decline of its exchange rate against the Shekel, the actual value of their salaries has eroded, increasing their financial burdens—especially given the exorbitant cost of living in Israeli markets, which affects all aspects of life in Jerusalem.
He explained that this economic hardship could drive some employees to seek additional income sources, negatively impacting their capacity to dedicate themselves fully to their duties in serving the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. This necessitates urgent intervention to provide direct financial support, alongside launching special programs and grants for their children’s education in schools and universities to ease their burdens, enhance their job stability, and enable them to continue their mission of protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque against the occupation’s attempts to undermine their presence.
Al-Rifai underscored that all these measures form part of an integrated Israeli policy aimed at dominating the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and altering its historic and legal status quo, warning of the danger this ongoing approach poses to the mosque's identity and religious standing.
The Advisor to the Governor of Jerusalem called on Arab and Islamic nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Arab League to take urgent and effective action to halt these violations, protect the jurisdiction of the Islamic Waqf Department, and counter attempts to impose a new reality inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.
He concluded by reaffirming that the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, encompassing its entire area of 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Waqf Department—affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs, and Holy Places—is the sole legal authority authorized to administer and oversee all its affairs.
