Israeli Police Attack Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israeli police preventing Muslim religious leaders and worshipers access to the Dome of the Rock. (Wafa)
Israeli police preventing Muslim religious leaders and worshipers access to the Dome of the Rock. (Wafa)
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Israeli Police Attack Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israeli police preventing Muslim religious leaders and worshipers access to the Dome of the Rock. (Wafa)
Israeli police preventing Muslim religious leaders and worshipers access to the Dome of the Rock. (Wafa)

Palestinian authorities closed Monday the Dome of the Rock after an Israeli policeman attempted to force his way into the site.

Israeli provocations continued until Palestinians clashed with occupation forces, which also physically assaulted Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, Imam of Aqsa Mosque, and besieged the Dome of the Rock mosque.
Tensions continued until the evening when the occupation forces withdrew.

The standoff began shortly after Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel toured the Mosque’s squares accompanied by scores of Jewish settlers guarded by a large force of heavily armed police.

Two Israeli officers then came to the Dome of the Rock for the daily search. One of them was wearing a Jewish Kippah and the guards asked him to take it off before entering the mosque, which he refused and attempted to force his way into the place, prompting the guards to close all the doors.

Head of the public relations office at the Islamic Endowment Department, Firas al-Dibs, indicated that, within their jurisdiction, Aqsa’s guards closed the doors of the mosque. He added that dozens of Israeli police forces besieged the mosque and prevented worshipers, imams, sheikhs, and employees of the Department from entering.

As a result, hundreds of worshipers came to al-Aqsa Mosque and held Dhuhr and Asr prayer in the courtyard. The worshipers then protested closing the mosque and a number of imams and elders came to the place including Imam of Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani. The soldiers prevented them by force and special forces assaulted Sheikh Kiswani.

Tension grew and some worshipers clashed with the police. Later, in the afternoon, police ended their siege and withdrew from the Mosque.

Palestinian Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Sheikh Yousef Adaibis, condemned the violation of the sanctity of al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, its squares and its facilities, by the Israeli occupation police.

He described the incident as an “assault on the feelings of Muslims and their holy sites.”

“These are immoral practices that create more religious incitement inside and outside of Jerusalem,” he said. He also accused Israel of working toward “dividing al-Aqsa Mosque in time and space” between Muslims and Jews.

The Minister called on the international community to restrain Israeli occupation from continuing with such violations and attacks.

The Palestinian Unity Government issued a statement condemning the brutal attack on Sheikh Kiswani and the siege of the Mosque by the occupying forces. It added that this attack falls within “the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation government against Jerusalem and holy sites.”

Government Spokesman, Yousef al-Mahmoud, stressed that the government urges Arab, Islamic, and the governments of the world to take serious action in all international forums and work to end Israeli occupation’s attacks on al-Aqsa Mosque and Islamic and Christian holy sites.



Netanyahu’s Messages: Beyond Türkiye, Closer to Tel Aviv

Men inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike on Thursday morning, following the bombing in southern Hama Province (AFP). 
Men inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike on Thursday morning, following the bombing in southern Hama Province (AFP). 
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Netanyahu’s Messages: Beyond Türkiye, Closer to Tel Aviv

Men inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike on Thursday morning, following the bombing in southern Hama Province (AFP). 
Men inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike on Thursday morning, following the bombing in southern Hama Province (AFP). 

Following a series of intensified Israeli airstrikes on Damascus and the airports in Homs and Hama, as well as a ground incursion into the city of Nawa near Daraa, Israeli officials on Thursday escalated their rhetoric, issuing fresh threats to the Syrian leadership and warning of further military action—this time citing concerns over Turkish military activity in the region.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar voiced particular alarm over Türkiye’s growing role in Syria, Lebanon, and beyond. Speaking at a press conference in Paris, he said: “They are doing everything they can to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate. That is clearly their intention.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this sentiment, stating that Israel “will not allow Damascus to become a security threat” to Israel.

Rising Concern Over Türkiye’s Military Footprint in Syria

Military officials in Tel Aviv confirm that Israel sees Türkiye’s growing military presence in Syria as a serious concern. Their fear stems from two key issues: first, Ankara’s reported efforts to rebuild the Syrian army along the lines of its own modernized military model; and second, its apparent goal of establishing a long-term military foothold inside Syrian territory.

Israeli defense sources point out that Türkiye’s armed forces operate based on a traditional ground warfare doctrine, featuring large-scale armored divisions and well-equipped infantry units—similar in style to the Russian military. This stands in contrast to the Israeli military, which relies heavily on air superiority and has long underinvested in ground forces.

Given this disparity, any significant Turkish deployment in Syria could pose a direct challenge to Israeli operations and raise the risk of confrontation.

While the recent Israeli airstrikes targeted mostly long-defunct Syrian military sites—many of which have been hit repeatedly over the years—the attacks signal a broader strategic shift.

In the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, the Israeli military has moved away from a defensive posture of deterrence and containment. In its place, the army has embraced a more aggressive doctrine built around preemptive action.

This shift was further underscored by the appointment of a new chief of staff from the Armored Corps—the first in three decades—signaling a renewed emphasis on ground operations and offensive initiatives.

Not Just a Message to Türkiye

Despite the messaging around Türkiye’s presence, analysts say the recent wave of Israeli military action also serves broader geopolitical aims.

After failing to persuade Washington to pressure Ankara to scale back its involvement in Syria, Israel now appears determined to assert its own red lines militarily. The airstrike on the Scientific Studies and Research Center in Damascus—a facility already destroyed multiple times since 2018—was widely viewed as symbolic.

Israeli officials say the intended audience for that particular strike was Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, whom Israeli intelligence continues to refer to by his former nom de guerre, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. By launching the attack during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Israel aimed to send a clear message: there will be no return to normalcy in Syria without accounting for Israeli interests.

Among those interests is normalization. Last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his desire to see Syria and Lebanon join the Abraham Accords and establish formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

Hardline figures within Netanyahu’s coalition believe Israel currently holds a strategic upper hand. As right-wing think tank head Meir Ben-Shabbat recently wrote: “Israel is in its strongest position ever. It is transforming the Middle East, expanding its military capabilities, and pushing back the Iranian axis—while Syria is at its weakest.”

For many in Israel’s ruling right, this is an ideal moment to push for a peace agreement with Syria, possibly even one involving Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights.

The Real Audience: Domestic Israel

Still, perhaps the most significant message behind the military campaign is directed not at Ankara, Damascus, or even Tehran—but at Tel Aviv.

As protests against Netanyahu’s leadership have grown louder in recent months, military escalation has served as a convenient political shield. The wars in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon dominate public attention and have largely sidelined anti-government demonstrations.

“Netanyahu’s government must go, but we won’t take to the streets while our sons are fighting,” has become a common refrain among many Israelis who oppose his leadership but remain reluctant to protest during wartime.

By maintaining a state of conflict, Netanyahu is not only securing his coalition’s survival but also enabling his allies to advance a hardline agenda—particularly on the Palestinian issue—that would have faced greater resistance in peacetime.

Critics warn that this strategy, while politically expedient, comes at a steep cost to Israel’s democratic institutions, its judiciary, and the long-term stability of the region.