An Israeli court has handed down a controversial ruling in favor of Jews worshiping at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has drawn strong protests from the Palestinian Authority.
According to the international news agency, Israeli settler Rabbi Areh Lipo had filed a petition in the court against the temporary ban on the entry of Jews in the special premises of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The magistrate's court ruled in favor of the Israeli police, saying that if Jews worshiped at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, it would not be considered a criminal act and would not be stopped.
It should be noted that under the 1994 agreement between Oman and Israel, Jews will not be allowed to worship in the designated compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque. In this area, only Muslims offer prayers, while Jews can worship on the nearby western wall.
Protesting against the court ruling, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Shatih called on the United States to do its part to prevent Jews from entering certain areas.
The Palestinian prime minister called the court ruling a conspiracy to impose on Jews and called on Arab countries to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the custodian of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jordan, has also termed the court decision as a serious violation of the peace agreement between Amman and Tel Aviv and the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
On the other hand, Khalid Zabraqa, a lawyer specializing in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs, told Al Jazeera that the Israeli court system has no legal authority to rule over the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and change the long-standing tradition.
It should be noted that although this controversial decision of the magistrate court needs to be ratified by the high court and the authority, this decision has created fears of illegal occupation of the premises of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Israel.
