Israeli police recruiting far-right officers for Al-Aqsa duty, report says

TEL AVIV: Israeli police have started a recruitment drive aimed at bringing in religious Jews and far-right activists to serve at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to a report published by Israeli daily Haaretz.

The report, published on Wednesday, said police were seeking religious Jewish recruits for duty at the compound and were coordinating with far-right activists who promote Jewish visits to the site in order to draw officers from their circles. Daniel Lerach, deputy commander of the police unit assigned to the Al-Aqsa compound, shared recruitment appeals on social media and WhatsApp groups, including forums associated with far-right organisations and Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Haaretz also reported, citing police sources, that district commanders were in regular contact with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his wife, Ayala. The newspaper said the increase in Jewish visitors to the compound had been accompanied by an additional hour being added to visiting times. It described the focused recruitment of religious Jews and activists involved in visits to the site as another step in policy changes under way there.

Palestinian condemnation

The Jerusalem Governorate, which is affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, denounced the reported move and called it a dangerous development. In a statement issued on Thursday, the main concern was not the recruitment campaign itself, but what it said the move indicated about attempts to transfer practical control over Al-Aqsa from the Islamic Waqf to Israeli police and other state institutions.

The governorate said the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department, which is linked to Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, remains the sole authority empowered to manage and supervise the mosque under the existing arrangements. It accused Israeli authorities of steadily weakening the Waqf’s role while seeking broader control over entry to the compound, its personnel and its daily administration.

"“shift effective authority over Al-Aqsa from the Islamic Waqf to Israeli police and other state bodies”"

The statement also described the Waqf as the “sole body” authorised to administer and oversee the mosque.

Background to access arrangements

Israeli police have since 2003 unilaterally permitted Israeli settlers to enter the mosque compound every day during two periods, in the morning and in the afternoon, except on Fridays and Saturdays.

Palestinians say Israel has been stepping up efforts to Judaise East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to remove its Arab and Islamic character. They regard East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, in line with international resolutions that do not recognise Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967 or its annexation in 1980.