The Israeli occupation authorities have transferred oversight of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to the settlement council of Kiryat Arba, in what is being described as a dangerous escalation in the systematic Judaization of Islamic holy sites. The move represents a flagrant violation of Palestinian sovereignty and is seen as an attempt to erase the site’s Islamic identity and ignite confrontation.
This shift, which began last Tuesday, is more than an administrative change. It raises serious concerns about the potential division of religious sites, echoing previous patterns witnessed at Al-Aqsa Mosque. It may pave the way for imposing new realities that strip Muslims of their rights to manage historic mosques and solidify Israeli dominance over them.
According to the Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom, “This is great news for the settlers. In an unprecedented historic step, a major change has been decided regarding the status quo at the Cave of the Patriarchs,” the Israeli term for the Ibrahimi Mosque.
A Legacy of Violations and Structural Takeover
Since the infamous 1994 recommendations of the so-called Shamgar Committee, the changes underway at the Ibrahimi Mosque represent the most significant developments in years. That committee had recommended the division of the mosque, allocating 63% for Jewish use and 37% for Muslims, following the massacre carried out by settler Baruch Goldstein, who murdered 29 Palestinian worshippers during Fajr prayer.
Today, the occupation seeks to reconstruct the roof of the mosque and build a permanent cover over the Ya’qub Courtyard, an area where Jews hold religious rituals 90% of the year.
In response, Palestinian Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Muhammad Najm, along with Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin, reaffirmed last month that “the Ibrahimi Mosque will remain Islamic despite the occupation’s attacks and the actions of settlers,” adding that the Ministry and national institutions will continue protecting it.
They also stressed the need for unity among all official and popular institutions to confront the Judaization agenda targeting the mosque, stating that all Israeli schemes will ultimately fail.
The Ministry further reported that Israeli authorities banned the call to prayer at the mosque 89 times in June alone and shut its doors to worshippers and visitors for 12 consecutive days.
A Military-Enforced Takeover
The Ibrahimi Mosque lies in the Old City of Hebron, under direct Israeli control. Around 400 settlers live there, guarded by approximately 1,500 Israeli soldiers.
All the violations committed by the Israeli occupation at the mosque breach international agreements designed to protect places of worship and heritage sites during conflict, including:
- The 1907 Hague Convention,
- The 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention,
- The 1977 Additional Protocol I,
all of which prohibit the targeting of religious sites or altering them for military or colonial use.
A History of Systematic Judaization
The Ibrahimi Mosque and other Islamic sanctities in Palestine face a coordinated campaign of Judaization — an attack on their religious and cultural identity. Since 1967, Israeli authorities have worked to alter the architectural and religious features of these sites and promote a falsified historical narrative denying their Arab and Islamic heritage.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, in 1994 settlers poured flammable liquid on the mosque carpets during a curfew and harassed worshippers. This culminated in the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre, where settler Baruch Goldstein stormed the mosque and opened fire on worshippers in sujood, killing dozens.
Following the massacre, the mosque was closed to Muslims and curfews were imposed on the city, which had already sacrificed many martyrs during the Intifada. Israeli authorities then imposed changes inside the mosque, turning large sections into a synagogue under the pretext of separating Jews and Muslims.
The mosque was physically divided:
- The Ishaqiyyah section was left for Muslim prayer.
- The Ya’qubiyyah, Ibrahimiyyah, and Yusufiyyah sections were seized and filled with Jewish religious paraphernalia.
Years of Closure, Control, and Humiliation
In 1996, the mosque was closed for five days. Soon after, Muslim women were forced to remove their hijabs before entering. Recurrent closures continued, each time with new pretexts.
In 1997, Israeli authorities installed a sign at the mosque entrance with new instructions: obey police orders, no food or drink, no cameras or recording devices, and eventually, the prohibition of bringing in the Qur’an.
In 1999, the mosque was again closed to Muslims for eight days under the pretext of Jewish holidays. What followed were intensified restrictions, harassment, and arbitrary arrests.
Local and Arab Responses
Palestinians have responded through grassroots resistance — protest movements, field confrontations, and ongoing documentation of violations to raise international awareness.
Arab-level responses have taken a diplomatic route: issuing condemnations, advocating at regional platforms, and focusing on preserving the Islamic and Arab identity of sacred sites.
Despite these efforts, there remains a glaring inability to enact decisive change, due to the occupation’s persistence in its colonial policies. This underlines the urgent need to intensify global pressure and accountability mechanisms to halt these violations.
What Do the Jews Want from the Ibrahimi Mosque?
The occupation refers to the Ibrahimi Mosque as the “Cave of the Patriarchs” — a Biblical name tied to their claim that Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) purchased a burial cave there for his wife Sarah.
In English, it is often called the “Cave of the Patriarchs” based on the Jewish claim that it contains the tombs of the Prophets Ibrahim, Isaac, and Jacob, along with their wives — figures revered in Judaism as patriarchs of the Hebrew Bible.
Muslims, Christians, and Jews agree that Prophet Ibrahim is buried in Hebron. Historical records state that Muslims built a mosque over his tomb, which was later converted into a church by Crusaders and then restored as a mosque when Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi reclaimed the city under Islamic rule.
