Jerusalem police on Sunday evening detained four suspects who tried to enter the Shar HaRachamim illegal Mosque on Har Habayis, bringing mechitzahs for the mosque set up illegally in recent months by the Waqf Authority.

The Regavim movement, which petitioned the High Court of Justice against the illegal activities of the Waqf to build a mosque at Shar HaRachamim, said Sunday evening that the state’s conduct over the past few months has led to the current situation in which the Waqf has de facto established another mosque on Har Habayis illegally and in violation of the status quo and Jewish rights on the site.

As noted, in the last state response to the petition, the police stated that in recent weeks the Waqf continued its illegal work despite a closure order issued by the Magistrate’s Court in Jerusalem last March.

The works included the installation of a speaker for muezzin, the deployment of new prayer mats, the installation of lighting chandeliers and the installation of an electric panel.

Judge Meni Mazuz, who gave the state 90 days to respond to the petition, recently rejected Regavim’s request for an interim injunction against the continued work. The hearing on the petition was scheduled for the beginning of July, but at the last minute the hearing was postponed until the end of September – almost six months after the petition was filed.

Yachin Zik, director of activities at the Regavim movement: “When the state itself does not implement the closure order that the court issued at the request of the state, when the High Court justices rejects the hearing of the petition that we submitted for many months it is no wonder that the Waqf’s message is that they can do it As much as they like, without having to be accountable to the law.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)