For over a month, Palestinian worshippers have been completely restricted from entering Al-Aqsa in occupied East Jerusalem. During Ramadan, when the compound should be filled with prayer, Israeli forces limited entry, erected checkpoints, and used force to disperse people attempting to worship, even on the outskirts of the compound. Israel imposed a full closure of the Mosque and the Old City at the start of its war of aggression on Iran on February 28th, invoking the oft-repeated “security concerns” justification due to its war of choice. But these restrictions are part of a long-standing system that controls who can enter, when, and under what conditions, routinely denying Palestinians their basic right to worship. The closure continued through Eid, and now Israeli officials have stated it will be closed through mid-April. 

It doesn’t end there. The Jerusalem Governorate has warned of organized settler efforts to carry out animal sacrifices inside or around the Al-Aqsa compound, a direct provocation that threatens to ignite widespread violence and further violate the sanctity of one of Islam’s holiest sites. These actions are part of a broader push by extremist settler groups seeking to fundamentally alter the longstanding status quo of Al-Aqsa.

This comes on top of years of escalating incursions, attacks on worshippers, and attempts to undermine the custodial authority of the Islamic Waqf (endowment), which is responsible for administering the site. International law is clear: East Jerusalem is Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and an occupying power has no sovereignty to impose permanent changes on religious or cultural sites.

Yet, the violations continue unchecked. We have seen how quickly U.S. officials can act when access to religious sites is restricted elsewhere. When Israel restricted access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, U.S. officials, including Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Senator Ted Cruz, immediately pressured Israel to reverse course and restore Christian worship. That same urgency has been absent here. The administration must apply the same standard and pressure Israel to reopen Al-Aqsa Mosque and defend Palestinian Muslims’ right to worship. 

Take action and contact the Office of International Religious Freedom, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and the White House Faith Office now.