Al-Azhar Observatory (Photo: Al-Ahram)
In a statement, the observatory said Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin took part in lighting a Hanukkah candle at a gate used by settlers to enter the compound, alongside religious figures linked to far-right Temple groups.
According to Al-Azhar, the event was attended by Rabbi Shimshon Elboim, head of the Temple Mount Administration, which the observatory said signalled direct government support for settler groups seeking to expand religious activity at the site.
The observatory said Levin praised what he described as “positive progress” in settler incursions, citing record numbers of entries and saying current figures had surpassed previous levels. It added that Levin criticised existing time restrictions on settler access and called for expanding the hours allowed for entry.
Al-Azhar said Levin argued that the current limitations hinder what he described as a sustained Jewish presence in the mosque’s courtyards, and asserted that settler incursions constituted an inherent right based on what he called historical and religious claims.
The observatory warned that such statements come amid growing Palestinian and international concerns over attempts to impose a temporal and spatial division at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site.
Citing figures published by the extremist organization Beyadenu–For the Temple, Al-Azhar said around 5,808 settlers entered the compound during the Hebrew month of Kislev, an 18 percent increase compared with the same period last year.
The group also reported a 28 percent rise in settler entries since the start of the current Hebrew year, with total numbers reaching about 23,720, according to the observatory.
Al-Azhar said the figures reflect what it described as a shift from sporadic violations to organized, state-backed activity aimed at entrenching settler presence at Al-Aqsa and restricting Palestinian worship.
The observatory added that the timing of the record figures, alongside Levin’s calls to expand access hours, could signal further restrictions on Palestinian access in favour of settlers.
Al-Azhar Observatory concluded that the participation and statements of the Israeli deputy prime minister reflect an escalating official orientation towards institutionalizing Talmudic rituals inside the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and accelerating efforts to change the status quo by blending religious and political discourse to justify and support these provocative incursions.
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