Israel has a ‘bigger plan’ to annex Jerusalem by limiting access to Al Aqsa, says an activist.
Amidst the relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, eyes will be on the Palestinian capital. Jerusalem, the holy grail of the Zionist project, will likely be the site of clashes as Apartheid Israel attempts to curb worship during Ramadan next month.
Speaking in an interview on Salaamedia, activist Fazela Mahomed warned any attempts to deny Muslim worshippers entry to Masjid Al Aqsa could be deadly. She also said the Zionists in Tel Aviv had a ‘bigger plan’, to annex Jerusalem.
“People are not going to stop going to the mosque,” she said, responding to reports that PM Benjamin Netanyahu planned to limit access to the site during Ramadan. But, she added, this would be a “strategic mistake” that might only strengthen the Palestinians’ resolve.
Israel’s 1967 occupation of Jerusalem has persisted, alongside its illegal occupation of the West Bank since the Six-Day War. Although the apartheid state has no sovereignty over the holy site, it routinely implements restrictions – especially during periods of religious significance, such as Ramadan.
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‘Bigger plan’
With most of the focus on the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, Mahomed drew attention to developments in Jerusalem. “The bigger plan is to annex Jerusalem for the Jewish state,” she said.
“The bigger plan is to annex Jerusalem for the Jewish state and by limiting, restricting and hoping to discourage people but that’s not how it works. We in South Africa know that the more the apartheid regime tried to restrict us the greater our effort was to resist and I think the same will happen in Palestine.”
However, she said, any plan to annex Jerusalem by enforcing domination over Al Aqsa would backfire. She pointed to the struggle against apartheid in South Africa in the latter half of the 20th century.
“They don’t understand the steadfastness of Palestinians. The Palestinians are resolute in their fight for freedom and they will go to the mosque. There will be clashes and unfortunately there will be injuries and death,” she said.
