As Passover approaches, Palestinian leaders are sounding alarms that Jews intend to carry out the Biblical Passover sacrifice on the Temple Mount.
The warnings have spread through official Palestinian channels and media outlets, framing the possibility of a Jewish ritual as a dangerous provocation and a threat to the “Islamic character” of the site. The rhetoric arrives amid heightened tensions in Jerusalem and follows years of similar claims that have repeatedly inflamed violence.
The Palestine Liberation Organization’s department for “Al-Quds affairs” issued a statement warning of what it described as plans by “settlers” to perform the Passover sacrifice during the upcoming holiday. The organization characterized the alleged plans as part of “systematic Israeli attempts to change the historical and legal status” of the Temple Mount.
According to the PLO statement, religious arguments are being used to justify “establishing facts on the ground.” The organization also claimed that right-wing elements within the Israeli government are backing efforts to allow Jewish prayer and ceremonies on the Temple Mount.
The PLO reiterated its claim that the entire compound is an exclusively Islamic place of worship and asserted that decisions by the United Nations and UNESCO support that position. Based on that inaccurate claim, it warned that any Jewish ritual conducted there would constitute a violation of international law.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. The Bible describes it as the location chosen for the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple), where the central rituals of the Jewish people were performed for centuries. Israeli law mandates religious freedom but allows the police to impose temporary restrictions based on security concerns.
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