Israel prohibited the Muslim call to prayer 298 times in the first half of this year at a historical mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
“Occupying Israeli forces prohibited the Azan, including calls to Friday prayer, at the Ibrahimi Mosque 298 times in the first six months of 2018,” Palestinian Religious Endowments Minister Yousef Adais said Tuesday in a written statement.
He said Israel was strengthening its presence at the mosque and closed it for two consecutive days using Jewish festivals as an excuse.
He also touched on violations committed by Jewish settlers.
“The immorality and violations of Jewish settlers have also crossed the line – so much so that they organized parties with music until midnight inside the Ibrahimi Mosque. They have also set up huge camps in southern courtyards of the mosque,” Adais said.
In June, dozens of Jewish settlers backed by Israeli police forced their way into the mosque, where they performed Talmudic rituals and held a music concert attended by senior Jewish rabbis and Israeli Internal Security Minister Gilad Arad.
Adais added that Israel was also interrupting restoration work at the mosque and its courtyard.
Source: AA
