The Hebrew and Jewish Torah holidays in October 2024 present an unprecedented threat, possibly marking the peak of existential danger to Al-Aqsa Mosque. This year, several significant religious occasions overlap in October, coinciding with the first anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023. There are growing fears that settler groups and Zionist factions might launch various forms of attacks on Al-Aqsa in acts of revenge.
In recent years, Jewish religious and Torah holidays have become moments of heightened aggression against Al-Aqsa, leading to intensified raids and religious rituals within its courtyards—practices that were previously forbidden—posing an unprecedented threat to the mosque’s Islamic identity.
These developments are part of the ongoing efforts by “Religious Zionism” groups to enforce the construction of the so-called “Temple” on the ruins of Al-Aqsa, as they have vowed. These attempts are directly supported by the Israeli government, which finances these raids and encourages increasing numbers of participants.
Why Are This Year’s Hebrew and Jewish Holidays a Threat to Al-Aqsa Mosque?
Since October 7, 2023, Al-Aqsa has witnessed a marked escalation in attacks, as part of efforts to impose complete “Israeli sovereignty” over the site and convert it into a Jewish holy place. This agenda has been publicly promoted by Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who declared from within Al-Aqsa in July, “Jews can pray on the Temple Mount… I am the political leadership, and the leadership permits Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque). I prayed there last week,” vowing to change the long-standing “status quo” which forbids Jewish prayer in the mosque.
From time to time, Israeli ministers, particularly National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have stormed Al-Aqsa despite widespread Islamic, Arab, and international criticism. In August, Ben-Gvir called for officially allowing Jewish prayers at the mosque and establishing a synagogue within its courtyards.
Moreover, Zionist groups have threatened further aggression against Al-Aqsa, including the introduction of ritual sacrifices. On September 12, 2024, the far-right “Temple Mount Activists” organization released a video simulating a large fire at Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the caption “The ultimate victory… Coming soon,” referencing the upcoming Hebrew and Jewish holidays.
A position paper from the International Jerusalem Foundation, authored by Jerusalem affairs researcher Ziad Abhis, suggests that popular resistance will likely intensify as Israel escalates its religious takeover attempts at Al-Aqsa, especially amid ongoing violence in the West Bank, the persistent resistance there, and the continuation of the genocidal war against Gaza and Lebanon.
Abhis notes that this year’s Jewish holidays fall between October 3 and October 24, directly followed by the first Hebrew anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on Friday, October 25.
He predicts that this holiday season will be one of the most aggressive against Al-Aqsa, with Israeli leadership viewing this anniversary as an opportunity to address the “October 7 dilemma.” The occupation may be planning a multi-front assault on October 24 and 25, making it essential to prepare for this possibility and even consider preemptive measures to strengthen the resistance.
The Most Dangerous Season Threatening Al-Aqsa’s Existence
In previous years, the extremist “Temple Groups” have used the holiday season as a crucial time to escalate their attacks on Al-Aqsa, pushing their agenda to its peak. They have seized these occasions to introduce new practices, such as bringing in “Torah religious tools,” blowing the shofar, enforcing sacrifices, and bringing in plant offerings.
This year’s Jewish holidays are particularly significant as they coincide with the first anniversary of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle. Dr. Abdullah Ma’arouf, an expert on Al-Quds studies, says that this season will witness more public religious rituals inside the mosque on a much larger scale than last year. He notes that since the first anniversary of the October 7 events falls within this holiday period, it is not unlikely that extremist Temple Mount groups, under Israeli government sponsorship, will exploit this anniversary to assert their presence at Al-Aqsa more forcefully than ever before.
The position paper from the International Jerusalem Foundation concludes that Al-Aqsa Mosque is facing an unprecedented existential threat since its occupation. This necessitates engaging in the battle to defend it using all means of resistance available, whether by the Palestinian people in all areas of their presence or by the neighboring Arab states and the broader Muslim world.
The paper calls for pressing official Arab governments to take a positive stance and prevent further erosion of their position. Additionally, it urges launching the largest mobilization and awareness campaign in the history of movements in support of Al-Aqsa from now until the end of October 25, 2024.
The Timeline of Jewish Holidays in October 2024:
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- October 4, 2024 – “Hebrew New Year”: Large-scale raids are expected, with participants donning “repentance clothing” and repeatedly blowing the shofar inside and around Al-Aqsa, under the protection of Israeli police.
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- The “Ten Days of Repentance” (October 4-14): Raids are likely with participants dressed in white “repentance garments” mimicking the robes of ancient priests, along with public priestly blessings and the imposition of plant sacrifices or the “fruits of the Sukkot” within Al-Aqsa.
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- “Yom Kippur” (October 12): The blowing of the shofar within Al-Aqsa as a symbol of declaring sovereignty over the mosque, accompanied by a reenactment of the Yom Kippur sacrifice.
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- “Sukkot” (October 17-23): This is one of the three Torah pilgrimage festivals associated with the alleged “Temple.” Extremist groups exploit it to impose all their rituals within Al-Aqsa, including the introduction of sacrifices.
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- “Simchat Torah” (October 24, 2024): Torah rituals inside Al-Aqsa courtyards, Jewish wedding ceremonies, intensified raids, and imposing further restrictions on Muslim entry.
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- The Hebrew Anniversary of October 7, 2023 (October 25, 2024): This day may turn into an opportunity for vengeance and further aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque.
